NEW DELHI (TIP): President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, July 5, signed the ordinance on food security after due consideration. The bill would now go before the Parliament when it convenes for the Monsoon Session. Brushing aside political opposition, Government had issued the ordinance to give nation’s two-third population the right to get 5 kgs of foodgrains every month at highly subsidized rates of Rs 1-3 per kg.
The Food Security program when implemented will be the biggest in the world with the government spending estimated Rs 125,000 crore annually on supply of about 62 million tons of rice, wheat and coarse cereals to 67 per cent of the population. Opposition parties have slammed the government for bringing the ordinance, accusing it of bypassing
Parliament and acting in a hurry with an eye on polls.
The government rejected the charge saying it wants to provide food security to crores and alleged that Opposition leaders, who had earlier disrupted Parliament sessions were now shedding “crocodile tears” over parliamentary propriety.