Government plans enactment artillery to counter Hazare, opposition offensive

After the retail-FDI retreat and the ongoing political threat from Anna Hazare, the government has planned a multi-pronged strategy on both, the graft and ‘aam aadmi’ fronts. As many as four big-ticket legislations are expected to come up for discussion in a meeting of the Union Cabinet scheduled for tomorrow.

Officials said with the much-touted Food Security Bill, one to protect ‘whistleblowers’ on wrongdoing within an organisation, another on accountability among the judiciary and one on redressal of public grievances (commonly known as the citizens’ charter) are expected to be discussed.

For the first two (whistleblowers and judicial accountability bills), the Cabinet is expected to discuss key amendments as suggested by standing committees of Parliament.

Officials said the Cabinet was also expected to discuss a proposal from the finance ministry to amend the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to curb the flow of illegal money outside the country.

The Food Security Bill (it was cleared by a smaller committee of ministers in July) was earlier scheduled to be discussed on Wednesday, but was advanced by a day on the insistence of food minister K V Thomas.

It seeks to provide a legal entitlement for grain to 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population.

“As soon as the Cabinet clears the Bill, it will be presented in Parliament,” a senior food ministry official. The Bill has assumed added significance following the fiasco over foreign direct investment in retail. It has, since July, undergone some key changes like inclusion of a provision to distribute an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to all pregnant and lactating women, in addition to cheap grain, at the initiative of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.