Draft to get election push at Cabinet meeting on Sunday

The government is going to make a final attempt to push Sonia Gandhi’s pet legislation, the Food Security Bill, at the Cabinet meeting this Sunday.

Cabinet approval is vital if the Bill is to be introduced in Parliament within the few remaining days of this session. This could possibly be the last session before Assembly elections in five states.

Food Minister K V Thomas told Business Standard, “We are trying to introduce the Bill in Parliament in this session itself.”

The much awaited Bill could not get Cabinet clearance with NCP chief Sharad Pawar citing the huge financial implications of such a legislation, views that were also echoed by senior Congress ministers.

The problem, as Congress insiders see it, is that while the proposal to hike foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail had the strong backing of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and was ultimately pushed through in the Cabinet despite objections from allies, the Food Security Bill is more of the Congress President-led National Advisory Council’s baby.

Congress functionaries say the party’s prospects at Uttar Pradesh elections would improve if the Bill gets cleared. “But the financial implications of such a big-ticket legislation, cannot also be ignored,” said a Cabinet minister. The Prime Minister has expressed some reservations on the bill, said sources. Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has also raised questions on the financial implications.

“The fact that the government wants to convince naysayers and take them along is crucial as we do not enjoy the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, which is an undisputed fact,” said a another Cabinet minister.

“Both houses have to pass the bill for it to become a reality,” he added. Nevertheless, although the prime minister and the government might have misgivings at present about how to roll out such a ‘big ticket’ legislation, the UPA will definitely see it through as it is a commitment in the party’s 2009 manifesto.

At the same time, President Pratibha Patil had clearly stated that year that the UPA II government will be bringing in a food security legislation. Congress leaders also emphasise that this is a ‘big ticket’ Bill, much bigger in its implications than the MGNREGA and the RTI. Therefore, the funds and the logistics need to be in place before the roll-out of such a bill. “It could sweep the Congress into poll victory whether that be 2012 state polls or even 2014. All this talk of corruption and scams will then be left by the wayside,” said a Congress leader.

If this dream is indeed to materialise then the party and the government needs to be on the same page as soon as possible and tweak the bill if need be to ensure its proper implementation, say experts.