Food bill a burden on country's economy: Khanduri

Dehradun: Terming as electoral stunt the Food Security Bill passed in Lok Sabha, BJP leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri today said it will be a burden on the country’s economy which already lies in a shambles.

Lashing out at the Centre for bringing the bill just about six months before the end of UPA’s tenure, the former chief minister said the timing of the legislation clearly shows it is aimed at garnering votes.[caption id=“attachment_1069425” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  BJP leader BC Khanduri. Image courtesy PIB[/caption]

“The Congress made the President announce in her address to the nation in 2009 that the Food Security Bill would be brought within a year but the party led government at the Centre introduced the legislation towards the end of its tenure. It is a brazen move aimed at misleading the nation when it prepares to go to polls next year,” Khanduri told reporters in Dehradun.

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Questioning the rationale behind such a bill when the country’s economy is passing through a difficult phase with the rupee plummeting to an all time low against the dollar, Khanduri said it will be a burden on the economy as it would entail an additional expenditure of Rs 1,25,000 crore.

“Where would all this money come from when the economy is in a mess,” he asked.

“There can be no justification for bringing a legislation like this when the Antyodaya Khadyanna and Annapurna schemes were already in operation,” he said.

“Even the quantity of subsidised rice and wheat given to the poor under these two schemes introduced by the Vajpayee government was higher than what is proposed to be given under the Food Security bill,” he said.

“It shows the dishonest intentions of the Congress which is out to befool the people for mere electoral gains. People should see through the party’s gameplan and teach it a lesson in the 2014 general elections,” he said.

Targeting Finance Minister P Chidambaram for saying he was not responsible for the dismal economic scenario, the BJP leader said he should be asked which party has been in power for the past ten years.

PTI