West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee Monday accused the Union government of trying to politicise the passage of the National Food Security Bill in Parliament.
“Without a full-fledged implementation mechanism in place, will this be the right time for the UPA-II government to rush through and legislate on a major issue like the proposed Food Security Bill, particularly when the general election is knocking at the door? That too, by a government whose majority is in doubt after the exit of AITC [All India Trinamool Congress] and the DMK [Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam] from the UPA-II ?” Ms. Banerjee posted in a social networking site.
Her party supported providing food security to people, she said adding that the manner in which the UPA government was trying to politicise the issue, was unjust.”
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Cash transfer schemes in lieu of grains would be useless due to lack of banking infrastructure facilities. “These promises are nothing but political gimmick.” There should be an “explicit provision” for providing adequate grains to meet the requirements during overall shortage. “Food security allowances will not remove hunger in times of grains shortage.”