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.
Bibek Debroy joins NITI Aayog as Member
New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) Bibek Debroy, an eminent economist, Wednesday joined the newly-created
The trailer of Manoj Bajpayee's hundredth film 'Bhaiya Ji' has been released. This film is going
The World Test Championship Final (WTC 2023) is being played between India and Australia. Austral
Ahead of Obama visit, Nuclear talks see 'Progress'
New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) With an India-US nuclear contact group engaged in hectic negotiations
Cryptocurrency: The crypto market is back again, bitcoin crosses $ 20000, ethereum climbs 12 percent
For some time now, the crypto market was taking out the tears of investors every day, but now it
Ashneer Grover, who came into the limelight with his tough behavior and spot retaliation in the r
The DC Universe finally got its superhero Superman. Yes, James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe will s
These 5 amazing features make iPhone completely different from the Android phone
The market has been dominated by two types of phones for since long. The fight between an iPhone
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues for the 36th day. US officials have claimed that Rus
Russia has become the first country in the world to officially register Corona's vaccine. The fir
