Forced Ripen Act
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: July 08 , 2013 -

With the problem of malnutrition said to be more common in India than in Sub-Saharan Africa and one in every three malnourished children in the world living in India(as per a report of UNICEF), there can be no two opinions on the need for food security in the country.

In such a situation, a legislation that would make food for all a legal right should have been welcome by all, apart from the fact that this would help India in erasing its image as the land of malnourished people.

But this has not happened and the Presidential assent to an Ordinance on the ambitious Food Security Scheme of the Congress-led UPA Government that will ensure the nation’s two-third population the right to get 5 kgs of food grains every month at highly subsidized rates of Rs 1 to 3 per kg has been slammed not only by the ever vociferous Opposition parties as a ‘political gimmick’ of the Congress party with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but also by experts who have raised serious concern over its possible impact on the finances and food prices in the country.

Still, some others have questioned the legality of the Ordinance contending that Article 123 of the Constitution that deals with the power of the President of India to promulgate ordinances during the recess of the Parliament has been misused as there is no ‘emergency’ situation in the country right now.

As a matter of fact, the issue of filling up the stomachs of nearly 800 million Indians or 67 percent of the total population in the country is a serious matter that needs to be debated thoroughly before arriving at any definite decision.

In order to ensure successful implementation of such an ambitious public welfare scheme, collective responsibility is the key, and for that consultation with all the State Governments and the political parties, which have raised several issues and concerns right from the stage of drafting the legislation, is not just essential but imperative.

So, why the incumbent Congress-led UPA Government has acted in such a hasty manner to push for an Ordinance when the next Monsoon session of the Parliament, which could facilitate the required discussion and debate, is due just a few weeks is definitely questionable.

Is the Government capable of implementing such an ambitious Food Security Act under the existing economic condition, infrastructure and administrative set up?

The answer may not be far to seek for anybody, including President Pranab Mukherjee, who himself had expressed strong reservation against the Food Security Bill, when he was the Finance Minister.

So, leaving aside the question over the Constitutional validity of the ordinance for the law court to decide and whether the ordinance would actually help in salvaging the image of the UPA Government or not for the voters to decide in the next Lok Sabha election, one thing that we would like to make it clear that this point is that allowing to use such a forced ripen pre-matured legislation by any political party as a political tool to befool the people could spell disaster for the country and any Government that would come to power after the much awaited Lok Sabha election.