Food security: Rahul to hold deliberations with PCC chiefs

Gandhi, who is the Congress Vice President, will address the PCC chiefs of states including those ruled by Congress as well as others

After party chief Sonia Gandhi's interaction with Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, Rahul Gandhi will hold deliberations with PCC chiefs of all states on the "game changer" Food Security Bill on July 27.

Gandhi, who is the Congress Vice President, will address the PCC chiefs of states including those ruled by Congress as well as those where the Opposition parties are in power. CLP leaders of the opposition-ruled states are also expected to participate in the meeting.

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Food Minister K V Thomas will also be present during the deliberations, sources said.

The July 27 meeting on the issue comes a fortnight after the Congress President asked Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states to expeditiously implement the food security scheme in "letter and spirit".

In the meeting with 13 Congress Chief Ministers on Saturday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said bottlenecks, if any, in the implementation of the scheme will be removed.

The deliberations had seen a number of AICC General Secretaries and Chief Ministers raising concerns over poor condition of Public Distribution System (PDS).

The aim of the meeting was to ensure that the scheme is implemented in the best possible manner with Congress-ruled states becoming role models in implementation of the food security measure.

While Delhi has announced its decision to implement the scheme from August 20, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said in the meeting that he was also ready to roll out the scheme from the same day.

The measure is seen by the party as a "game changer" and these meetings are being held at a time when the party is preparing for the next Lok Sabha polls and is keen to reach out to the people with its populist measure.

A battery of Congress spokespersons is already on move in various states to hold workshops for the PCCs on food security issue and address press conferences at state headquarters.