Cong shares Pawar worry on food Bill

As the Union Cabinet is set to carry on with deliberations over Food Security Bill at its next meeting on Sunday,the Congress is learnt to share the views of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar,who had raised the issue of agriculture production and foodgrain procurement during discussions on this Bill at the last Cabinet meeting.

While the party is committed to bring the Food Security Act,there are issues regarding procurement and distribution. The public distribution system is in a mess in states. Until the requisite implementation machinery is in place,this legislation will not benefit people, said a senior Congress leader.

Sources said that while the Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament,there is little possibility of its passage in this session. At the last meeting,over a dozen ministers,including from the Congress,had raised concerns about the fiscal implication of the Bill in terms of a hike in food subsidy but they refrained from opposing it.