Our Correspondent in New Delhi reports: Raksha Mantri A K Antony's arguments to the Union Cabinet  to include the demands by 11 chief ministers for a quantity and price mechanism in the Food Security Bill  -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram were opposed to this -- carried the day.  

Chidambaram categorically said the finance ministry would oppose the 'pricing' part of the demands made by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala chief ministers and no way could this be incorporated in the bill.  

Annoyed, Antony loudly told the Cabinet that the FSB was Congress President Sonia Gandhi's commitment and the Bill was a political do or die issue for the Congress and UPA.  

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar opposed his old associate Antony and supported Chidambaram at the Cabinet meeting at Parliament House on Thursday. There were six government amendments to the FSB, which were to be cleared by the Cabinet.

Pawar opposed the quantity and price clause as did Ajit Singh and Farooq Abdullah.  Jairam Ramesh hinted that at earlier Cabinet meetings it was decided to have a quantity and not a price clause.  

Visibly angry, Antony began to speak, eventually carrying the day.   

Many Cabinet ministers oppose the Bill as it would add Rs 300,000 LAKH CRORES to government expenditure.