CPI-M's Tamil Nadu unit flays UPA on Food Bill

CHENNAI: CPI (M)'s Tamil Nadu unit today slammed the Congress-led UPA on the Food Security Bill, saying it had launched an attack on federalism and people by not consulting state governments on the matter.

"Without considering the existing PDS scheme in Tamil Nadu, Centre itself has announced the beneficiaries of the Food Security Bill using a flawed poverty scale. Without consulting the state governments, it has launched an attack on federalism and the people," the party's two-day meeting of state council which ended today here, said.

The meeting, attended by CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat and state unit secretary G Ramakrishnan, expressed fears that if the Food Ordinance was implemented, it would benefit only 62.55 per cent and 37.79 per cent of the people in rural and urban areas, respectively, depriving many existing beneficiaries of the benefits.

Central allocation of rice and wheat to Tamil Nadu will also decrease, burdening the state government with the problem of buying foodgrains from open market, it said.

The state council said with rapid urbanisation in the state and migration from villages, the proposal should be made a universal PDS scheme and other items such as sugar, pulses and cooking oil should also included.

"There should be no decrease in Central foodgrain allocation to the state," the party said.

Among others, it urged the state government to withdraw cases filed against anti-nuclear protesters in the Kudankulam Nuclear Plant issue in line with a court directive.

The party also opposed proposal for the third and fourth reactors in the Kudankulam nuclear complex.