Government to pass Right to Food Act: Mukherjee
11 Jan 2010
According to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee the government will pass the Right to Food Act to promote inclusive growth, a concept that has been pursued by the Congress party since independence.
He was speaking at The Economic Times Award-2009 function in New Delhi on Sunday.
While pointing out that inclusive growth had always been the top priority with the Congress party, Mukherjee said that the party's earlier slogans like 'grow more food' and 'garibi hatao' were directed towards achieving the same objective.
Under the law the Congress party had proposed in its manifesto for 2009 general elections, every family under the poverty line would be entitled to 25 kg of rice or wheat at Rs3 per kg every month.
The UPA government, he pointed out had passed the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and Right to Education Act to ensure jobs and education to people through legislation.
Mukherjee however said that to ensure that growth would be all encompassing and the food production and industrial output would have to be stepped up.