Food Bill likely to get Par nod early next week

The ambitious Bill will be brought in the Rajya Sabha for consideration next Monday

The landmark Food Security Bill is expected to get Parliament's nod early next week after Rajya Sabha approves the measure that seeks to provide cheap foodgrains to 82 crore people.

The ambitious Bill, being brought in the Rajya Sabha for consideration next Monday, will pave the way for ushering in the biggest programme in the world to fight hunger.

It was passed by Lok Sabha on Monday after much delay and uncertainty.

Government managers are confident of its passage in the Upper House despite the UPA not having majority there. They are banking on support of JD-U and BSP to see the Bill through.

The passage of the bill in Parliament will give the nation's two-third population the right to 5 kg of foodgrains every month at highly subsidised rates of Rs 1-3 a kg.

The Food Bill as also the Land Acquisition Bill are seen as game changers by Congress in the Lok Sabha elections which are due by May next year.

The Food Bill is the pet project of Congress President Sonia Gandhi who has sought to dismiss questions over whether the ambitious scheme could be implemented.

'The question is not whether we have enough resources or not and whether it would benefit the farmers or not. We have to arrange resources for it. We have to do it,' she had said during the discussion on the Bill in Lok Sabha on Monday.

'It is time to send out a big message that India can take responsibility of ensuring food security for all Indians...Our goal is to wipe out hunger and malnutrition all over the country,' Gandhi had asserted.