Desi, I think congress is more interested in popularist schemes than any other party.
Was that an indirect compliment?
Food Security bill is one of the good example of it. We already have Public distribution system which has huge leakage. Food is rotting in godowns, hoarders and middlemen exporting this food to Bangladesh. Now another programme to waste tax payers money on subsidies which is more intended to get votes than actually delivery. For your information, this food security bill will eat up 2.5 percent of GDP, which is further going to widen the budget deficit. How about fixing up existing systems rather than adding more crap bills which will cost nation a fortune and adds further to food inflation. If food secuirty bill get implemented then government might require additional food grains to current production. Then that additional food grain will come from overseas market. How good is that? Now I sniff Sharad Pawar's role in this scheme.
Food security bill will give food to everyone and is in a way to fix measures, the food that will be fed will come from where? Existing avenues right? Additional food grains could also come from another green revolution, not just imports.
Let me sum up some features of the bill:
For children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years, the Bill guarantees an age-appropriate meal, free of charge, through the local anganwadi. For children aged 6-14 years, one free mid-day meal shall be provided every day (except on school holidays) in all schools run by local bodies, government and government aided schools, up to Class VIII. For children below six months, “exclusive breastfeeding shall be promoted”.
Priority households are entitled to 5 kgs of foodgrains per person per month, and Antyodaya households to 35 kgs per household per month. The combined coverage of Priority and Antyodaya households (called “eligible households”) shall extend “up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population”.
Every pregnant and lactating mother is entitled to a free meal at the local anganwadi (during pregnancy and six months after child birth) as well as maternity benefits of Rs 6,000, in instalments.
To avoid corruption the Bill provides for a two-tier grievance redressal structure, involving the District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO) and State Food Commission. State governments must also put in place an internal grievance redressal mechanism which may include call centres, help lines, designation of nodal officers, “or such other mechanisms as may be prescribed”.
These are just some main topics i picked up from a report I read on a blog. How can this be bad?
And to be honest it has nothing that has not been done earlier. If my fellow blind haters of Congress did some research before tarnishing the bill they would have realized this is already prevalent in Chattisgarh and in a much better form.