THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BILL, STREET MAGIC AND THE COMMON CITIZEN!!!

THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BILL, STREET MAGIC AND THE COMMON CITIZEN!!!

“Breaking the secrets of magic” is one my favorite program in television. The program is presented in such a way that the magician will show the magic first and then he will demonstrate the secrets behind it. The detailed narration is very much helpful to understand the secrets behind the magic. The usage of simple physics and chemistry theories in Magic is always an interesting factor for me. Sometimes after the explanation of the secrets, I feel why I didn’t able to see it. That’s magic!!!

What normally the magicians do?
·         First step: show the audience something physically existing
·         Second step: Remove (vanish) it from your eyes.
·         Third Step: restore (bring back) it
·         Finally the audience will say  Amazing… Great… nobody can do it…

Today morning, after reading the entire act of National Food Security Bill 2013, I felt that how the magicians do the things in their favor.
You may be wondering that why I am relating the street magic and National food security bill 2013.

If you are looking some years back, you can see that there was public distribution system (PDS) in India, which has removed by the Congress governments from the period of Rajiv Gandhi. They have done it by changing the PDS to TPDS (Targeted PDS) and gradually removing the items itself !!
Finally, the public (Audience) is seeing that there is no rationing system is existing.  (Like a Magician the congress Governments have taken out (or Destroyed?) the PDS system.)
Like a final step in the magic, the magician came and bringing back the old system, and saying that we had done a great thing for the Indian public!!! What to say ?

Now I am waiting to see the claims of these politicians ….. They will claim the price of the food grains will come down, especially they says and we believes that they will supply the wheat, rice and other food grains through the ration shops etc..
After reading the entire act, I felt that, there is nothing much going to happen in India, This will be an indirect route for the UPA government to pay money to the common public for their votes!!

Some attractive clauses from the Act:

1.       Maternity benefit of Rs 6,000 to the pregnant womenSection 4 says …………………all pregnant women and lactating mothers in regular employment with the central government or state governments or public undertakings or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force shall not be entitled to benefits specified in clause (b)
 Comments : I couldn’t understand the ‘similar laws’ covered here, it can be anything even the un- employment wages also. Hence, waiting for the clarifications and explanations.

2.       Food security allowanceSection 13  says : in case of non-supply of the entitled quantities of food grains or meals to entitled persons under chapter II, such persons shall entitled to receive such food security allowance from the concerned state government to be paid to each person, within such time and manner as may be prescribed by the central government.
Comments: this is the main agenda of the government, I am sure they will escape through this route; pay the money to the public and say that we have given the money as promised give us vote. If the government is committed to its citizens they will never put such a clause in the act, instead of they will come with a strong action plan for the successful implementation of the PDS system, which can really helpful to control the increase in price of food items.

3.       Obligation of Central Government for food securitySection 31 says : in case of short supply of food grains from the central pool to a state the central government shall provide funds to the extent of short supply to the state government for meeting obligations under chapter II in such manner as may be prescribed by the central government.
Comments : that means it is the responsibility of the state governments to source the items for the distribution, and the central government will pay them the pre agreed amount, which will be far lesser than the market rate of the food grains. Which state government in India will accept this?

4.       Liability of the Central Government

Section 52 says : The central government or as the case may be, the state government, shall be liable for a claim by any person entitled under this Act, except in the case of war, flood, drought, fire, cyclone, or earthquake affecting the regular supply of food grains or meals to such person under this Act.
Comments: No comments on this clause, you may please comment yourself. Only Vote they are looking for or they want to serve the citizen of the country?
[Note : Congress party want to pass the Act, on the birthday of Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. It should have been done on his birthday, this is because during his tenure as prime minister only they started to destroy the PDS system in India]