New Delhi:
Even as the Union Cabinet was meeting to clear the National Food Security Bill yesterday, about 30 protestors led by activist Biraj Patnaik protested in front of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence against the move.
The government has cleared the bill that aims to provide subsidised food grain to over 62 per cent of the country's population. But the activists contend that the legislation won't help those it is meant for and will only serve to bring about cosmetic changes in the system.
The protestors also demanded an all-party meeting, saying that most cabinet members were not serious about bringing a good bill that would help those in need of food security. The activists were detained by the police briefly before being let off.
There were no such hurdles, though, inside the Cabinet meeting yesterday as all the proposals of the note were cleared without any discussion when the Cabinet met at 7:30 pm. The bill will now be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing winter session.
The objective of the proposed law is "to provide for food and nutritional security...by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices, for people to live a life with dignity".
"We will be fulfilling our commitment to the people made in the manifesto in 2009 general elections and reiterated by President Pratibha Patil while addressing the joint session of Parliament in June 2009," Food Minister KV Thomas said. "It is an important Bill and I feel relieved that the Cabinet has okayed it," he added.
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