Union Budget 2013: Still some weak links in food chain

NEW DELHI: It looks like the UPA is not banking too much on the National Food Security Bill to shore up its political fortunes in the next general election.
P Chidambaram has enhanced subsidy for providing cheap rations to the poor by a mere Rs 5,000 crore over the Rs 85,000 crore revised estimates last year although he said, “The National Food Security Bill is a promise of the UPA government.I sincerely hope that Parliament will pass the bill as early as possible.”
The meagre increment indicated that despite the FM’s special mention of the scheme, the government may not be looking at an expansive rollout of the legislation. Last year, it had increased the subsidy Budget by Rs 12,178 crore, but owing largely to a rise in procurement prices of paddy and wheat.
Indicating the kind of budgetary support the bill would require, a parliamentary panel recently estimated that if government were to consider the 2011 population and the proposed new cap on number of beneficiaries, the subsidy bill even for 2012-13 would have risen to Rs 1,12,205 crore.
Budget 2013> Union Budget 2013> Economic Survey