Himachal CM expresses unhappiness over proposed Food Security Bill

Expressing unhappiness over the Central Government''s Food Security Bill, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has said the bill has burdened the state governments in many ways.

Talking to reporters here, Dhumal said that Central Government has put a lot of burden on the states as they make policies and later impose them on the state governments to deal with it.

"On Food Security Bill, not only me but everybody who thinks about it has many concerns. I am very sad that UPA government makes policies and then imposes them on states. I will separately give you a detailed note on that," he said.

"The bill which is introduced will now further go to the Standing Committee but many things have been imposed on states in that bill like collecting of grains from warehouses and transporting to the destinations, distribution of grains and if we can''t provide grains then we have to give allowance for those grains," he added.

He further said that the proposed bill will now be presented in the Parliament''s Standing Committee for discussion.

Dhumal also said that the decision taken by the federal government over the Bill was in haste because of which both the producer and the poor man are suffering.

"Many things have not been done looking into practical aspects, ultimately who will cultivate, who will produce for the nation. The person who is producing grains is committing suicide and the person who is starving is also committing suicide. Wrong bills are being presented because of lop sided thinking," said Dhumal.

The Central Government on December 22 introduced the Bill in Parliament.

The new bill will provide subsidised grain to 75 percent of people in the countryside and half the urban population deemed too poor to eat properly. A total of 810 million people could benefit.