Food security not so soon

The proposed food security bill to save the poor from hunger may not become a reality soon, no matter that Sonia Gandhi wants it fast to become yet another flagship programme of the congressled UPA government alike the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme that paid political dividends in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

In a bid to put the government on fast track to finalise the Bill, she even pushed a draft ten days ago through the National Advisory Council ( NAC) she heads promising wheat, rice and coarse grains at throwaway price to the poor, but the government won't push it before securing the public opinion.

A clear government line on the issue came in the mid- year analysis of the government finances tabled in Parliament on Tuesday by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The document says an empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) constituted to examine various issues concerning the proposed legislation has so far met five times and not yet firmed up its views.

The draft bill would be prepared, once the EGoM directions come, "and the same would be placed on the website of the Department for public scrutiny and comments," the document said.

Officials said that there are lot many issues involved in the Bill, including the ticklish question of the beneficiaries who are below the poverty line and hence the government would circulate it for eliciting the public views before bringing it before Parliament. They said the draft bill will also go to the state governments for their views as they are ultimately going to be the implementing authorities.