Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Bihar ranks 74th in global hunger index -Vithika Salomi

Bihar ranks 74th in global hunger index -Vithika Salomi

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Sep 27, 2013   modified Modified on Sep 27, 2013
-The Times of India


PATNA: Eighty-seven per cent of the rural population and 61% of urban residents in Bihar had calorie deficiency during 2009-10, as per reports of National Sample Survey Office. In fact, Bihar ranked 74th (alarming zone) in the global hunger index of 88 countries, according to a Survey of India State Hunger Index 2008. In the same survey, Jharkhand ranked 76th, Odisha 67th and UP 61st, all in the alarming zone.

Discussing food security issues facing the country, development economist Jean Dreze on Thursday called Bihar the hunger capital with one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world. "The living condition of people in some of the Bihar villages is more grim and horrifying than at most places in the world. In fact, in terms of scheme implementation, Bihar is the capital of corruption and exploitation in the world," said Dreze, adding that only some progress took place in the last few years.

According to Dreze, Bihar is sitting on the hotbed of poverty, hunger and malnutrition and could be potentially the biggest beneficiary of National Food Security Bill (NFSB), 2013. "NFSB is not just about 5kg of foodgrains. It would give a new footing to the entire public distribution system (PDS) if it has a broad coverage and clear entitlements," said Dreze, who has coauthored books with Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.

He was speaking at the valedictory function of the two-day national seminar on 'Food Security Bill 2013 and its implications on backward states', at A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies (ANSISS) on Thursday.

At one of the technical sessions, ANSISS director D M Diwakar pointed out that in-kind entitlements were better than cash entitlements as it had little chances of embezzlement. "Nutritional security would be guaranteed in long term, only if the government improves livelihood opportunities," said Diwakar, adding that Bihar would require 51.36 lakh tonne of foodgrains per year to implement the NFSB.

Speaking on the occasion, D N Sahaya, chairman, ANSISS, called NFSB a path-breaking poor-centric scheme.

Various aspects of the NFSB, its operation and different logistics were discussed during the two-day meet. "A time-bound grievance redressal system, defining accountability and a proper mechanism to include left-out people were the need of the NFSB," said an activist associated with Right to Food campaign.

Calling Bihar a "multi-hazard prone" state, disaster management department's principal secretary Vyasji said, "The paradox with Bihar is that flood and drought exist simultaneously and foodgrains need to be constantly diverted for relief work."

In the same session, food and consumer protection department principal secretary Shishir Kumar Sinha said the government was giving new PDS licences to self-help groups only.


The Times of India, 13 September, 2013, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-13/patna/42040433_1_bihar-villages-global-hunger-index-ansiss


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close