New Delhi: The ordinance on the ambitious Food Security Bill was discussed at the Congress Core Group meet on Friday. The meeting decided that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Food Minister KV Thomas will reach out to the opposition for consensus on the Bill.
The Food Security Bill aims to provide 5 kg of foodgrain per person to 67 per cent of the population at subsidised prices.
Under the Bill, 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the poor in urban India will be able to purchase rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse grains at Re 1 per kg per person.
The bill is the brainchild of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and is being pegged as the gamechanger for the government ahead of the coming elections....
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08:54 PM, Jun 14, 2013
New Delhi: The decision on Food Security ordinance was deferred on Thursday by the Union Cabinet as the government said it wanted to make one more effort to get the Opposition on board. But sources say the decision to defer the ordinance was taken because Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the Samajwadi Party must be brought on board over the issue. Both UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh...
12:37 PM, Jun 13, 2013
New Delhi: While the Congress is pushing hard for the Food Security ordinance, the Public Distribution System remains in shambles and foodgrains are still rotting in several states. CNN-IBN has been reporting on the crisis since 2010, following up ground reports with RTIs. In 2010, CNN-IBN had reported on grains rotting from India's foodbowl Punjab. Bags of rotting grain in the fields of Punjab tell the story of the government's...
11:32 AM, Jun 13, 2013
New Delhi: Despite opposition from key ally, NCP leader and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, the UPA is set to push through the Food Security ordinance at the Cabinet meet on Thursday. If the Cabinet approves it, the ordinance will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee. If the President signs it, then the ordinance will have to come into immediate effect. However, with a lot of ground work still pending, the...
07:30 AM, Jun 13, 2013
Food Minister KV Thomas on Wednesday told CNN-IBN that the government wanted to give a signal that it was serious about the ambitious Food Security Bill when asked whether promulgating an ordinance was the democratic way of enacting the UPA's game changing legislation, that envisions the right to food. Thomas also said that the tenure of the present government is limited to ten months and therefore, it is important to...
10:59 PM, Jun 12, 2013
New Delhi: At a time when the government is pushing hard for Food Security ordinance in Cabinet, the Bharatiya Janata Party said the government should wait for the Monsooon Session and the party is in favour of discussion on the Bill. BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Let them bring the ordinance first, will react tomorrow. They should wait for the Parliament session. Congress in a hurry because it doesn't know...
03:33 PM, Jun 12, 2013
New Delhi: A deeply divided government is now ready to push for an ordinance on Food Security in Cabinet on Wednesday. This despite strong opposition coming in from key ally and NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Food Minister KV Thomas. But an ordinance is being seen as the only way out as the Congress is getting ready for a possible pullout by the SP soon. The Congress is getting prepared...
01:01 PM, Jun 12, 2013
New Delhi: The Cabinet is likely to consider on Thursday a proposal to promulgate an Ordinance for implementing the government's most ambitious Food bill. The Food Security bill, a pet project of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, was tabled in the Budget session of Parliament but could not be taken up for discussion due to pandemonium in the Lok Sabha over various scams. However, government is keen on issuing an Ordinance...
06:15 PM, Jun 11, 2013
New Delhi: No decision was taken on whether to bring an ordinance on UPA's pet legislation - Food Security - during Friday's core Congress meet. The bill is stuck in Parliament as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not allow it to be debated upon in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, which ended May 8. The BJP wanted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resign over the faulty allocations...
08:29 PM, Jun 07, 2013
Mumbai: Making it clear that he was not opposed to the National Food Security Bill, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday said he would prefer it to be approved by Parliament after a debate. "I am in favour of approving the food bill through discussion in Parliament, which is the highest forum," he told reporters. Pawar, who had earlier voiced apprehension that huge concessions on foograins could endanger food...
03:43 PM, Jun 07, 2013
New Delhi: Suspense mounted over whether the government will promulgate an Ordinance on Food Security as it appeared hesitant to take this route amidst differences within the Cabinet as well as opposition from some allies and other parties. The government is keen on enacting this landmark law at the earliest but there are voices within it who disfavour the Ordinance route. The bill, a pet project of Congress chief Sonia...
10:14 PM, Jun 04, 2013
New Delhi: The government is divided over bringing an ordinance on the Food Security Bill, say sources. Meanwhile, the Law Ministry has approved an ordinance note but has questioned how beneficiaries will be determined. The Law Minister has sent a note to the Cabinet Secretary approving the ordinance. Some ministers like Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Food Minister KV Thomas want the Bill to be discussed in Parliament. While some...
12:36 PM, Jun 04, 2013
New Delhi: The government is likely to bring in an ordinance on the Food Security Bill in the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Sources say the government has spoken to all the allies on the proposal and that it prefers an ordinance instead of bringing a bill in Parliament as it can reduce the rollout time for the scheme. The government was earlier reportedly divided on whether to hold a special...
09:47 AM, Jun 04, 2013
New Delhi: The government is all set to bring in an ordinance on Food Security Bill at the Cabinet meet on Tuesday, sources said. The government has spoken to all the allies on the proposal, they added. Sources said the government prefers an ordinance instead of bringing a Bill in Parliament as it can reduce the rollout time for the scheme. The government was earlier reportedly divided on whether hold...
11:10 PM, Jun 03, 2013
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday signed the Criminal Law Amendment Bill which gives India a strong anti-rape law. The Criminal Law Amendment Bill was earlier passed by the two Houses of Parliament. The massive public anger and uproars following the December 16 gangrape of the Delhi braveheart forced the drafting and eventual passing of this new Bill. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was moved in the Rajya...
12:58 PM, Apr 03, 2013
As the government gets ready to present its anti-rape Bill in Parliament, first arrest for stalking under the amended section of the Indian Penal Code was made in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Saturday. A Mumbai police team arrested a man accused of stalking a woman, even after she moved to Mumbai. ...
05:28 PM, Mar 16, 2013
After differences in the Cabinet over the proposed changes in the new anti-rape Bill, the government has finally made some headway. A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram is likely to finalise the Bill for Cabinet approval on Wednesday. ...
11:17 AM, Mar 13, 2013
The Cabinet has yet again deferred the anti-rape ordinance due to lack of unanimity. A group of ministers along with lawyers will now look into the points of differences and will come back to the Cabinet. ...
11:01 AM, Mar 12, 2013
A person in authority convicted of rape will have to spend rest of his natural life in jail, according to a proposal in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill which is likely to be taken up by the Union Cabinet on Thursday. The fresh Bill will replace the ordinance on crimes against women promulgated last month. ...
09:32 PM, Mar 06, 2013
Angry voices and outrage following the brutal Delhi gangrape case was enough to have jolted the government to rush in with an ordinance on sexual assault. However, this political urgency may amount to nothing and the ordinance may not become a law any time soon. That's because our politicians are wary of the proposed anti-rape law. ...
08:16 AM, Feb 22, 2013
