UPA committed to food security bill: PM

Notwithstanding government's failure to get the ambitious Food Security Bill passed in the Budget session, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said UPA is committed to make this law after considering "all opinions." "The National Food Security Bill is a very important legislation for the government. UPA is committed to make this law after considering all opinions," he told reporters inside Parliament House after Parliament was adjourned sine die. Singh was asked about the fate of the bill following the end of the Budget session and whether an ordinance could be brought in this regard. Asked whether government could bring an ordinance to implement the food security law, Food Minister K V Thomas said he has to "look into various angles" before taking a call.

"I am neither ruling in or ruling out. I have not thought of that. I have to study all these things. There are so many options," he said outside the Parliament House. But at the same time Thomas agreed that food security cannot be made a legal right through a government or executive notification, therefore, ordinance could not be an option. The Food Bill aims at giving legal right over a uniform quantity of 5 kg foodgrains at a fixed price of Rs 1-3 per kg via ration shops to 67 per cent of the population.

The amendments to the Food Bill, which was originally introduced in Parliament in December 2011, was moved in the Lok Sabha last week, but discussion could not take place due to disruption of proceedings on several issues, including coalgate scam. Government had made three attempts in the Lok Sabha last week to get the bill passed.