New Delhi:
For the second day in a row, the government has deferred a discussion on the Food Security Bill, a reform it hopes to introduce urgently, not least because elections in crucial states like Rajasthan and Delhi are months away. The Cabinet will now take up an ordinance, which would turn the proposal into law, on Thursday.
The cabinet, which was expected to clear the ordinance today, did not discuss the ambitious scheme, championed by party president Sonia Gandhi, and described as critics as an attempt to help the party, reeling from corruption scandals, win the next national election.
The BJP says the ordinance route would be inappropriate. Party leader Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "The ordinance route for such an important legislation is not desirable. We are not opposed to a special session of Parliament," adding "The better option will be to pre-pone the Monsoon Session which is anyway due in July".
If the government uses an ordinance, it will have to be cleared by Parliament within six weeks of its next meeting.
The bill will provide to roughly 70% of India's population rice at 3 rupees per kg, less than 10 percent of current retail prices, and wheat at 2 rupees per kg.
Yesterday, the Congress had said it would discuss the bill with its allies. But the consultation was postponed hours after the proposal was labeled "anti-farmer" by Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, whose support is critical for the minority government.
Sources say that at the cabinet meeting today, documents detailing the proposal arrived late, which meant that there wasn't enough time for a thorough review by senior ministers.
Yesterday, the BJP had said that it is not opposed to a special session of Parliament to discuss the bill. Left leader Brinda Karat had also said that her party would like the bill to be debated in the monsoon session.
The cabinet, which was expected to clear the ordinance today, did not discuss the ambitious scheme, championed by party president Sonia Gandhi, and described as critics as an attempt to help the party, reeling from corruption scandals, win the next national election.
The BJP says the ordinance route would be inappropriate. Party leader Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "The ordinance route for such an important legislation is not desirable. We are not opposed to a special session of Parliament," adding "The better option will be to pre-pone the Monsoon Session which is anyway due in July".
If the government uses an ordinance, it will have to be cleared by Parliament within six weeks of its next meeting.
The bill will provide to roughly 70% of India's population rice at 3 rupees per kg, less than 10 percent of current retail prices, and wheat at 2 rupees per kg.
Yesterday, the Congress had said it would discuss the bill with its allies. But the consultation was postponed hours after the proposal was labeled "anti-farmer" by Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, whose support is critical for the minority government.
Sources say that at the cabinet meeting today, documents detailing the proposal arrived late, which meant that there wasn't enough time for a thorough review by senior ministers.
Yesterday, the BJP had said that it is not opposed to a special session of Parliament to discuss the bill. Left leader Brinda Karat had also said that her party would like the bill to be debated in the monsoon session.
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