President Pranab Mukherjee has signed the food security bill which is meant to ensure legal rights to cheap food for about 67% Indians. If passed, it will be the most important government legislation in India since 1947. But the government has gone about it in a most unfortunate manner. A debate in Parliament was necessary as also at different levels of society. Most parties in the opposition had some reservations about certain provisions of the bill and they asked for amendments though sometimes out of political motivation. It is true that valuable time was lost as the opposition caused Lok Sabha proceedings to come to a halt through their obstructionist tactics. Yet the government should not have gone for an ordinance. The Congress wishes to make capital of the ordinance for its advantage in state and parliamentary elections over the next year.
One problem is that the bill has to be passed within six months of the start of the monsoon session. But a greater glitch is implementation. 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population have to be provided with their quota. The delivery system will have to be massive and very efficient to secure the objective. The government has to improve vastly the existing delivery system. The bill provides for implementation of the scheme through the rationing system which is corrupt and far from satisfactory. Identifying the beneficiaries is another major snag. It is doubtful if the food security scheme will remove hunger and malnutrition in the immediate future.
