Lok Sabha passes Food Bill

 

 The much-awaited National Food Security Bill, which the ruling Congress calls a “game changer”, was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Monday. It will ensure legal food entitlement to 50 per cent of the urban and 75 per cent of the rural population across the country at reasonably cheaper prices.

The BJP ultimately supported the Bill, with Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj saying: “We support it despite it being half-baked and weak.”
When the Bill was put to vote clause by clause, over 300 amendments moved by Opposition members were negated by margins of more than 100 votes each time.
Prominent among the amendments included making it obligatory for the government to give food even at times of natural calamities, increasing fines on public authorities from the existing Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 in case of failure to provide food and eliminating provisions of financial liability on state governments in implementing the law.
Ironically, Congress president Sonia Gandhi could not participate in the voting as she fell ill during the voting on amendments and had to leave the House at around 8.15 pm when she was taken to AIIMS. Her son Rahul too could not participate as he accompanied his mother to AIIMS.