Food bill in Rajya Sabha Monday

The Rajya Sabha is expected to take up the National Food Security Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha Aug 26, on Monday, said government sources.

The bill aims to provide heavily subsidized food to two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion people.

Though the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is in a minority in the upper house, Congress managers have expressed confidence that the legislation would be passed next week as most parties support the welfare legislation, the sources said Saturday.

Moreover, the government has already agreed to some of the issues expressed by the opposition and the same could be encompassed in the bill through amendments moved by the opposition, they added.

The government has extended the monsoon session till Sep 6.

The bill is a pet welfare legislation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was taken ill during the eight-hour-long debate in the Lok Sabha and was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The bill, a part of the Congress election manifesto of 2009, is widely expected to be a game-changer for the ruling party as it prepares for the 2014 general election.

--Indo-Asian News Service

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