New Delhi:
President Pranab Mukherjee has signed the food security ordinance into law two days after it was approved by the Cabinet. The ordinance still has to be approved by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha within six weeks of Parliament's next sitting. Otherwise, the ordinance lapses and has to be promulgated again.
The government launched the Rs. 1.25 lakh crore welfare scheme on Wednesday to give cheap food to nearly 70 per cent of the population, a scheme that's been planned as a centre-piece of the ruling Congress party's plan to win a third term in power.
By using an executive order, the minority government has sidestepped a debate in Parliament on the scheme
The ambitious scheme, championed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will raise the annual food subsidy spending by 45 per cent. Under the scheme, rice will be available at Rs. 3 a kilogram, and wheat at Rs. 2 a kilogram. The monthly supply ranges from three to seven kilograms per person, depending on their level of income.
Last month, the Prime Minister had asked senior ministers to make one last effort to win over the opposition, which had said the scheme must be debated in Parliament. A key ally, Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, had opposed the option of using an ordinance.
However, Sharad Pawar, who is Agriculture Minister, and heads an important constituent of the ruling coalition, was brought on board after early reservations against the ordinance.
The push for the ordinance was reportedly based on suggestions from the Election Commission that state elections will be announced by September 22. That means the model code of conduct will kick in, which prohibits the government from announcing any big policy that could impact voting.
The government has in the past expressed its concern over the main opposition party, the BJP, causing a paralysis of the next Parliament session, as it did during the last, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister over alleged corruption.
The government launched the Rs. 1.25 lakh crore welfare scheme on Wednesday to give cheap food to nearly 70 per cent of the population, a scheme that's been planned as a centre-piece of the ruling Congress party's plan to win a third term in power.
By using an executive order, the minority government has sidestepped a debate in Parliament on the scheme
The ambitious scheme, championed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will raise the annual food subsidy spending by 45 per cent. Under the scheme, rice will be available at Rs. 3 a kilogram, and wheat at Rs. 2 a kilogram. The monthly supply ranges from three to seven kilograms per person, depending on their level of income.
Last month, the Prime Minister had asked senior ministers to make one last effort to win over the opposition, which had said the scheme must be debated in Parliament. A key ally, Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, had opposed the option of using an ordinance.
However, Sharad Pawar, who is Agriculture Minister, and heads an important constituent of the ruling coalition, was brought on board after early reservations against the ordinance.
The push for the ordinance was reportedly based on suggestions from the Election Commission that state elections will be announced by September 22. That means the model code of conduct will kick in, which prohibits the government from announcing any big policy that could impact voting.
The government has in the past expressed its concern over the main opposition party, the BJP, causing a paralysis of the next Parliament session, as it did during the last, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister over alleged corruption.
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