Food security: Sonia calls meet of Cong CMs and unit chiefs

UPA chairperson will discuss how best the Food Security Ordinance could be propagated to public

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance(UPA) is going all out to ensure it gains maximum electoral mileage from the food security ordinance, being pitched as the “gamechanger.” Party president Sonia Gandhi has summoned all Congress chief ministers and Pradesh Congress chiefs (PCC) to Delhi on saturday to discuss how the food security ordinance could be propagated at its best to the public.

On Tuesday, the Congress had Food Minister K V Thomas brief its 10- odd party spokespersons on crucial aspects of the Bill.

The Bill is expected to yield rich political dividends in the coming Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It is with this in mind, state chiefs have been directed to create maximum awareness among the public to ensure  the  the food Bill is known to the “aam aadmi.”

The July 13 meet would possibly be the first major gathering of Congress leaders after the party’s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur in January  this year.

Of special emphasis, say Congress sources, will be the party’s focus on Opposition-ruled states. “We have found on a routine basis, successes of central schemes are passed off by the state government as their schemes and we tend to lose the advantage. We need to pre-empt this at all cost with the food Bill,” said a senior Congress leader.

The Delhi government will be the first one to launch the programme on August 20.

The Opposition has been targeting the Congress on its hurry to take the ordinance route. Spokespersons have been asked to make the people aware that as the Opposition had been derailing Parliament, the Bill couldn’t be pushed through the previous session. Hence, the Congress-led UPA had little option but to bring it in the form of ordinance.

Communications department chief Ajay Maken, has termed the food Bill as the “world’s largest social welfare programme.” Last week, after much back and forth, the government finally moved an ordinance which was promulgated by the President.

Two-third of the country’s population will get the legal right to five kg of foodgrains every month at subsidised rates of Rs 1-3 a kg.

As the validity of an ordinance expires in six weeks from the commencement of a Parliament session, it is set to be brought for discussion and passage in the coming monsoon session.