The Government is making all out efforts to get the Food Security Bill passed on Thursday in the Lok Sabha. The Congress has sought the help of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Opposition to get the Bill passed.
The Bill is listed for “consideration and passing” in the Lower House, which has seen frequent interruptions in the past two weeks over the coal scam and the Joint Parliamentary Committee report on spectrum allocations.
While allowing the Centre to pass the Finance Bill, Railway Budget and the Appropriation Bill, Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj had said that her party would not allow the Centre to pass any other legislation than the Constitutional requirements.
She had announced on Tuesday that her party would not co-operate in any meetings convened by the Centre and the Speaker to end the impasse in Parliament. The Opposition has been blaming the “attitude of the Congress” for the deadlock in the House.
Meanwhile, the Congress has reached out to non-BJP parties seeking their help to pass the Food Bill. The Left parties said they will allow discussion on the legislation, but “we will not allow the Centre to pass the Bill amid din. This is an important legislation. We will not support the Bill in its present form. We have moved several amendments,” CPI(M) leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia told Business Line .
The BJP’s top leadership in Parliament will meet on Thursday to finalise its strategy. “No major Bills will be allowed to pass in the din,” a senior BJP MP said. The party is likely to “block” the passage of the legislation.
The Government is confident that the Bill will sail through.
Chidambaram hopeful
“I have not given up hope. I hope the Opposition will return to Parliament and these Bills can be passed. We are ready to move these Bills,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said when asked about the future of key Bills pending with Parliament.
Chidambaram also rejected the BJP’s charge that Sonia Gandhi had prevented Sushma Swaraj from speaking in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
“I was present in the House and my other colleagues were also there... The entire broadcast of that time was telecast by some channels later in the day... There is no visual to show that the Congress President interrupted Swaraj or did anything else to prevent her from speaking,” Chidambaram told reporters.