Cabinet to finalise food subsidy, other bills today

The union cabinet is likely to take a decision on at least three major social legislations at a meeting today. Perhaps the key among these is the food security bill, which Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi is particularly keen on, though it has attracted its share of controversy over the criteria for dole-outs.

Although the lokpal bill, in the eye of a political storm at present, won't directly be discusse, the cabinet is also expected to take decisions on the judicial accountability and citizens' grievance redressal bills, which are connected to Anna Hazare and his team's demand for a strong anti-corruption ombudsman.

Clearing the latter two bills will give the government a stronger position in its wrangles over the lokpal bill, as the Congress seeks to bring its United Progressive Alliance partners on board at a meeting this evening; followed by attempts to mollify the opposition on Wednesday.

The Parliamentary panel examining a bill on judicial accountability has reportedly recommended that judges should refrain from making "unwarranted comments" against other constitutional bodies. It has also proposed to make it compulsory for the judges to declare their assets. Another recommendation is to set up a national judicial oversight committee to look into transgressions by judges.

The food security bill is likely to be the most expensive of the lot, as it will load an extra Rs63,000 crore or more of food subsidies on a nation whose finances are already overburdened by massive subsidies on other products, particularly fuel and fertilisers.