'Ordinance route on Food Security Bill is objectionable': Yashwant Sinha

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday questioned the ordinance route on Food Security Bill, saying it is highly objectionable and will lead to confrontation.

"The fact the important peace of legislation like a Food Security Bill has been passed through the ordinance route is absolutely unacceptable. All the party in the opposition even some partners of UPA have protested against this. The UPA Government could have called the parliament session in the next two weeks, what they have not done in nine years and three months, could have been postponed by another 2-3 weeks,"

"The Food Security Bill could have been discussed, should have been discussed in Parliament. Taking the ordinance route is very very objectionable and obviously to lead to confrontation when Parliament assembles in Monsoon Session," he added.

President Pranab Mukherjee has signed the ordinance on food security, which seeks to give legal rights to 67 per cent of the population over subsidised grains every month.

According to reports, President Mukherjee signed the ordinance and it will now be tabled before the Parliament for approval.

The Food Security programme when implemented will be the biggest in the world with the government spending estimated at one lakh 25 thousand crore rupees annually.

Terming the ordinance as historic, Congress spokesman Ajay Maken had earlier said the government resorted to promulgation of ordinance, as there was no unanimity during the discussions with the opposition parties.

On June 13, the Cabinet had deferred the proposal amid differences on the issue.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said after the meeting of the Union Cabinet that the government will try to call a special session of Parliament to debate and pass the Bill, which aims at providing the legal right to subsidised food to nearly 67 percent of India's population.

The Food Security Bill was tabled during the Budget Session of Parliament, but could not be taken up for discussion because of opposition-led disruptions of proceedings arising out of scam-related allegations.

The Food Security Bill is aimed at giving legal rights to 67 percent of the population for a uniform quantity of 5 kg food grains at a fixed price of Rs 1-3 per kg through ration shops.