Fate of India's Food Security Bill unknown; Analysts say it may harm country's economy

"Though approved by the Cabinet Sunday, the fate of the much-anticipated Food Security Bill, which will guarantee cheap food for India's masses, is far from sealed," the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog reports, noting that the "bill is to be tabled in Parliament this week." When the bill comes up for a vote, after potentially spending weeks in committee, "all political parties are expected to support the bill which will provide subsidized food grains to 75 percent of the rural population and about half of urban households," the blog writes.

However, "political analysts say the Food Security Bill may not get passed by the end of the session," and some "analysts denounced the bill saying that it will not spur economic development but instead add to the government's financial burden" when the country is running a fiscal deficit, according to the blog (Agarwal/Anand, 12/19).