-The Times of India
Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday said it would be difficult to implement the proposed food security bill without adequate funds to boost agricultural output.
Pawar, who was not fully aligned with the Congress on the food security legislation, argued that his grievance was that the total budgeted provision for entire agriculture ministry was Rs 20,000 crore and subsidy, as of today, was Rs 65,000 crore which might go up to Rs 1 lakh crore in the current year.
"Solution is that unless and until we increase production, we will not be able to implement, we will not be comfortable to implement this (food security bill)," Pawar told a TV channel.
Keeping an eye on the ongoing assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, Congress has pushed for early introduction of the food security legislation in Parliament.
When pointed out that the food law was UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s pet project, Pawar said, "This is not a question of individual. This is a question of investment in agriculture."
The draft law, which aims to provide legal right over subsidized foodgrains to 63.5% of the country’s population, has been referred to the parliamentary standing committee.
It proposes to give legal entitlement to food to 75% of the people in rural areas, including at least 46% in the priority section (which is the same as below poverty line families in the existing public distribution system).
In urban areas, up to 50% of people will be covered under the proposed law, of which at least 28% will be in the priority category.