New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Accusing the BJP-led central government of "killing the purpose and intent" of the National Food Security Act, 2013, the Congress Saturday said it was a "crude attempt to make a mockery of the crores of toiling poor of India by the BJP".
The Congress also criticised it for giving cash to the poor instead of subsidised food grains.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP government had become anti-farmer and anti-poor.
"The BJP government is preparing to kill the purpose and intent as also soul and spirit of the Food Security Act by reducing the number of eligible beneficiaries from 67 to 40 percent," he said.
The Congress leader held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for it saying that nobody could have done it without his permission.
"This recommendation (of reducing number of eligible beneficiaries) was made by a committee constituted to examine the Food Security Act by Modi," he said.
He criticised the government for making an "anti-farmer" amendment to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 by way of an ordinance.
"It exposes the anti-poor and farmer face of the ruling dispensation," Surjewala added.
The Congress leader also questioned the BJP whether its "intent and motive behind supporting the Food Security Act, 2013 in parliament was to subsequently kill its soul and spirit on formation of the BJP government".
He said that when the Shanta Kumar committee, set up to examine the Food Security Act and to reconstitute the Food Corporation of India (FDI), has proposed direct cash transfer of food subsidy even to the remaining 40 percent beneficiaries instead of providing food grains over the next three years, how the poor would buy food grains at the prevailing market prices with the small amount of subsidy.
The Congress leader also wondered that when all this was being done whether the government would also stop procuring wheat, paddy and other crops at the Minimum Support Price to maintain its existing well defined food stocks after the commencement of the direct cash transfer policy.
"It's all inter-linked, the government must explain to the nation what its plans were," he said.
More than 150 countries have signed the pledge to reduce the emission of methane gas. More than 5
Run feast on cards in Lanka vs Proteas clash
Sydney, March 17 (IANS) It will be a highly-charged contest between two powerful batting line-u
The war between Russia and Ukraine has reached a new stage. Now the Russian army is advancing rap
Afghanistan News: In August, the Taliban had completely captured Afghanistan. After this, in Sept
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has accused former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa of cons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiz
In the initial episodes of Bigg Boss 18, the contestants started fighting with each other. Not ev
Tapas Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has completed 18 hours of flight testing. It has been designe
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started tightening the legal noose against Congress leaders
South Africa cricket team batsman David Miller has shared an emotional post after the defeat in t
