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India Lower House Of Parliament Passes Cheap Food Plan
BBC NEWS, INDIA
August 26, 2013: India's lower house of parliament has passed a controversial Food Security Bill that provides subsidized food to two-thirds of the population. Following the Bill still needs to be approved by the upper house, 800m poor people would receive 5kg (11lb) of cheap grain every month. Its backers argue it is a big step towards eradicating the widespread hunger and malnutrition plaguing India. But critics say it is a profligate plan that will hurt India's economy. The ambitious legislation, which will cost 1.3tn rupees ($23.9bn; £15.8bn) a year
The government launched the program last week by executive decree, but requires the parliamentary approval to make it permanent. In a rare speech to the parliament on Monday, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi urged lawmakers to clear her party's flagship welfare scheme, which she said was part of an "empowerment revolution" worthy of unanimous support. "Some people ask - do we have the resources for such a legislation? I would like to say, the question is not about resources; we will have to manage resources for this," Mrs Gandhi said. "The question is not if we can do this. We have to do this," she told lawmakers in the lower house.
India accounts for a third of the world's poor and supporters say such assistance will help reduce poverty and hunger. But critics have dismissed the bill as a political gimmick ahead of next year's general election. "It's not food security, but a vote securing bill," opposition BJP spokesman Murli Manohar Joshi said in the parliament before Mrs Gandhi spoke.
The bill proposes to provide a kilo of rice at three rupees, wheat at two rupees and millet at one rupee. The plan will cover 75% of Indians living in rural areas and 50% of the urban population.
The bill was an election promise made by the governing Congress party and its implementation is expected to help the party in general elections due next year.
