New Delhi:
A dramatic U-turn in less than 24 hours. On Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had told NDTV that the government should not wait for a day to make the Food Security Bill a legal right. Today, the government said it would make "one more effort" to convince the Opposition.
The Prime Minister reportedly conveyed this to his colleagues at a cabinet meeting this morning, thus deferring plans to use an ordinance to provide subsidised food to nearly 70% of India's population. The government will try to convene a special session of Parliament instead to clear the Rs. 1.3 lakh crore welfare reform.
"Our intention is to get it (Food Bill) passed in a special session of Parliament," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.
The government has now deputed Mr Nath, Food Minister KV Thomas and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to talk to the Opposition. Mr Thomas, though, underscored that the option of using an ordinance has been delayed, not abandoned.
But what prompted the rethink on the part of the government? It was key allies like Sharad Pawar and Mulayam Singh Yadav which the Centre seemed more worried about than the Opposition. While Mr Pawar had reservations about bringing in an ordinance, Mr Yadav has openly opposed the bill as "anti-farmer".
"We can't support something that is wrong," said Rampal Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, which props up the PM's minority government.
The decision to postpone the ordinance was taken last evening after the PM spoke to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The Opposition immediately welcomed the move. The BJP and the Left had attacked the government for trying to force the scheme without an adequate discussion in Parliament about logistics or its impact on farmers. "Parliament is the right forum to debate and pass such a bill," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.
The Prime Minister reportedly conveyed this to his colleagues at a cabinet meeting this morning, thus deferring plans to use an ordinance to provide subsidised food to nearly 70% of India's population. The government will try to convene a special session of Parliament instead to clear the Rs. 1.3 lakh crore welfare reform.
"Our intention is to get it (Food Bill) passed in a special session of Parliament," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.
The government has now deputed Mr Nath, Food Minister KV Thomas and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to talk to the Opposition. Mr Thomas, though, underscored that the option of using an ordinance has been delayed, not abandoned.
But what prompted the rethink on the part of the government? It was key allies like Sharad Pawar and Mulayam Singh Yadav which the Centre seemed more worried about than the Opposition. While Mr Pawar had reservations about bringing in an ordinance, Mr Yadav has openly opposed the bill as "anti-farmer".
"We can't support something that is wrong," said Rampal Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, which props up the PM's minority government.
The decision to postpone the ordinance was taken last evening after the PM spoke to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The Opposition immediately welcomed the move. The BJP and the Left had attacked the government for trying to force the scheme without an adequate discussion in Parliament about logistics or its impact on farmers. "Parliament is the right forum to debate and pass such a bill," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.
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