Government
to table Land Acquisition Bill.
The
government is expected to table the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation
and Resettlement Bill, 2011 and National Food Security Bill in the Lok
Sabha on Tuesday. But even even before the two landmark bills are tabled
in Parliament, there has been some controversy too.
The
government is expected to table the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation
and Resettlement Bill, 2011 and National Food Security Bill in the Lok
Sabha on Tuesday. But even even before the two landmark bills are tabled
in Parliament, there has been some controversy too.
Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi has written to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh opposing the Food Security Bill. Modi has claimed that state
governments are not being given a say in determining 'the eligibility
criteria' and has asked him to call a meeting of chief ministers on the
bill.
However,
Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh has taken a dig at Modi for
overstepping Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.
In
his letter Modi alleged that poor families have been made "food
insecure" through the Ordinance which "does not fulfill the basic
objectives of food security". In his letter dated August 7, Modi charged
that under the Ordinance, "unworkable statutory responsibilities have
been given to central and state governments" and the "number of
beneficiaries has been fixed without specifying eligibility criteria and
fix individual entitlements.
Between
different states, there could be wide regional disparities". The
Standing Committee of Parliament had in January, 2013 recommended that
government should formulate eligibility criteria in consultation with
state governments, according to Modi.
The
letter said the Ordinance proposes to reduce the entitlement of BPL
families from 35 kg per family to only 25 kg per average family of 5
persons and added "this cannot be the objective of any food security
legislation which reduces the entitlement of those who have been
identified as being below the poverty line".
On
the one hand, the Planning Commission has been claiming reduction in
the number of BPL families but under the Ordinance food support is
provided to about 2/3 of the population. This illogicality requires to
be discussed with states, Modi's letter said.
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