Food Security Bill: A gamechanger. But whose game will it change?!

On Monday Congress led United Progressive Alliance government breathed
sigh of relief as they succeeded in passing landmark Food Security
Bill touted as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's dream project in lower
house of parliament. The Food Security Scheme aimed at providing food
grain to whopping 82 crore people of India who fall below poverty line
at the cost of Rs. 1,30,000 crore will be largest of its kind in the
world.

The bill will guarantee 5kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per
month per person at a fixed price of Rs. 3, 2, 1 respectively. Price
can be revised every 3 years. To realise a scheme of its calibre govt
would require 62 million tonnes of food grains at its disposal but
given the state of our godowns and ill storage one will doubt
regarding its success. At a time when no day goes with reportage of
grain-drain in rainy scum or stills of rotten grains in open storage
across nation, anyone would be interested enough to know how this
game-changer scheme materializes.

Eventhough we believe (just believe!) that somehow govt succeeds in
addressing these important issues regarding storage of grains but
then, from where would 62 million tonnes of grain would arrive? Yes,
we are an agricultural country where majority of our populace thrive
by it but will they suffice to quench hunger of all Indians. With
torrential rains that never downpour steadily, who will guarantee
seamless supply of such an amount of grains? Will we import them like
gold and will add to Current Account Deficit (CAD)? Can we afford any
more widening of CAD? P. Chidambaram might be good at consoling by
words but he certainly lacks will or brains to stabilize and bring
back economy on track. With recent free-fall of rupee, Finance
Minister sure appears like he cares little. We know why rupee is
dwindling and do know that many currencies of developing nations are
performing badly but nobody is racing to worst as fast as rupee!

With strengthening of dollar, South Asian currencies have suffered
widespread damage with rupee leading them. Others would possibly
recover as they have short-term liquidity issues but rupee and rupiah
(Indonesia) are unlikely to see any recovery even though they try
doing their best. It will take long to stabilize their economies,
reported The Reuters.

Current Account Deficit has been widening since year due to
popular-but-ill policies of govt, slowing economic growth and strong
resistance to implementing much needed reforms.

There is no denial that to see everybody is content is government's
prerogative but at what cost too is worth eyeing for. You can't turn a
Nelson's eye to signs of damage. To spend what is in pocket solely on
food is no intelligence nor sensible economics but sole idea of
suicide. It might be Sonia Gandhi's dream but govt isn't handcuffed to
implement it as compulsion and bury country' economy for her wishes.

Nobody is shooting at bushes. Markets themselves were ominous of
blinking future of FSB as they opened on Tuesday a day after passing
of bill. They had crumbled further as it opened in the morning to
witness loss of points and further free-fall of rupee as lower house
approved a plan worth $20 billion to provide cheap grains to the poor;
clearly giving signs of a possible crash-down once the bill gets
implemented on ground. No-stable-nor-sound might be the state of our
economy once it materializes. But who cares? From govt to opposition,
everybody wants to cook their food with FSB and appear poor-friendly.
No surprise that except J Jayalalitha's AIADMK no party voted against
bill.

Former minister and reputed journalist Arun Shourie had summed up Dr.
Manmohan Singh as, "a good man who has turned out to be a good for
nothing man." Manmohan Singh is Narendra Modi's best poll agent. By
doing no work, he is building base for Modi, added Shourie.

Never seems like he is bothered enough to use his brains and not
simply nod his head over anything and everything. And no doubt why
they call him weakest ever.

Debates will continue to crown 'greatest PM India ever had' but to
crown the otherwise, one doesn't have to bother or ponder much; to
state-it-straight Dr. Manmohan is the worst ever. No debate, nothing.
He is the one. No strings attached.
FINISH.

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