India launches giant cheap food programme

[IndoUS]

(Reuters) - The government launched a $22 billion welfare scheme on Wednesday to give cheap food to hundreds of millions of people, a centre-piece of the ruling Congress party's plan to win a third term in office in elections due by May 2014.

The minority government sidestepped India's unruly parliament and resorted to an executive order to implement the programme, local media said, in a move the party believes will help it take credit for a vote-winning plan.

(Reporting By Frank Jack Daniel)

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For the love of god this is just too cheap even for politicians in India. They could have done this years back with an executive order, why do it now.

@mods please move it to the correct section if this is posted in the wrong section.

 

[Brahmos_2]

election gimmick

 

[xuxu1457]

What they want more are jobs

 

[livingdead]

What they want more are jobs

govt has job guarantee scheme for poor, and will pay if they cant give you work. Fair I would say.

 

[bronxbull]

what bullshit,as if they are all hungry now.

 

[djsjs]

how much one should spend for basic food a day?
for the cheapest food....

 

[Marxist]

What they want more are jobs

no they want more votes ..

 

[Cheetah786]

election gimmick

call it what you like It feeds the poor thumbs up.

 

[doremon]

how much one should spend for basic food a day?
for the cheapest food....

at present poor people who have bpl card(below povertyline) can buy a kg of rice for a rupee which is more than sufficent for single day meal

 

[livingdead]

call it what you like It feeds the poor thumbs up.

huge percentage of it will be pocketed by lower level babus(there is a massive scheme already running) but a good initiative.. i will be happy if 50 percent reaches poor.

 

[djsjs]

at present poor people who have bpl card(below povertyline) can buy a kg of rice for a rupee which is more than sufficent for single day meal

one rupee......OMG.it's like free.......
whats the price if no bpl card? and the poverty line is?

 

[IndoUS]

call it what you like It feeds the poor thumbs up.

Yes, but the question is why now. This is very cheap to play around with such initiative to get quick vote. Who will bear the burden of the cost of this. And if government pay for this, it will only increase the deficit which needs to be reined in. They could have done the same thing years back when they were in better place to get such bill though with support of their allies. But they resorted to do this at the end of their term when the election is just next year, and with a executive order bypassing the parliament.

 

[ranjeet]

What we really need to do is adopt better Food Management, tones of food produce go to waste due to lack of proper storage facilities. And we also must keep our eyes on adulteration of basic food items. Although its an election gimmick but if implemented properly without any corruption then thumps up to it !!!

 

[SirHatesALot]

Well lets hope that some of the food reaches the poor people.

 

[livingdead]

one rupee......OMG.it's like free.......
whats the price if no bpl card? and the poverty line is?

quality of rice is bad.. and I think one can get for around 10 to 15 rupees...