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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Civil society groups slam ‘dilution’ by Govt by Annapurna Jha

Civil society groups slam ‘dilution’ by Govt by Annapurna Jha

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published Published on Nov 17, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 17, 2011
Civil society groups on Tuesday came out strongly against the Centre’s draft National Food Security Bill, which has not incorporated the National Advisory Council’s suggestion for providing maternity entitlements to about 15 crore women in the informal (non-Government) sector, as in the Central Government, thereby denying food security (breast feeding) to infants. 

Similarly, the current legal guarantee of 'hot cooked meals' for children attending anganwadis has been diluted by providing the option of 'Ready to Eat Meals' in the draft which suggests that the Bill is more about creating markets and protecting corporate interests than the interests of children, the members, including Jean Dreze, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey who are also in the NAC, alleged in their letter to Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath.  

Appalled by the scant regard for children in the draft NFSB put up on the website of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, they said that it not only does grave injustice to people's food security in general,  but also does not ascertain the right of children to food security. 

"The draft Bill goes out of its way to minimize the government's responsibilities, restrict children's entitlements, and avoid any accountability," the activists, steering the Roght to Food Campaign, lamented and demanded that universal maternity entitlements for at least a period of six months at minimum wages and crèche facilities to children of working women should be given.

Pointing out the vast problem of malnutrition among children, they said the total allocation for children, who constitute 44% of the population,  in the budget is still only about 4% percent of the total expenditure. 

Also the requirement that take home rations be "...fortified with micronutrients as per 50% of RDA"  and that "Meals shall be prepared in accordance with the prevailing Food Laws") opens the doors for centralised production and distribution contradicting Supreme Court orders for banning of private contractors and encouraging decentralised production by SHGs, women's groups, panchayats etc, they pointed out.

Other important entitlements related to management of severe malnutrition, nutritional counselling and other programmatic issues requiring legal guarantees have also been wholly omitted, the civil society activists under the aegis of Right to Food Campaign said. 

They demanded universalisation of all services of ICDS for all children, pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls. In opening of anganwadi centres, preference should be given to SC/ST habitations to ensure that every Dalit and Adivasi habitation has an ICDS centre. The called for prevention of interference of commercial interests through 'packaged' or 'ready to eat' food or 'public private partnerships' in government programmes for child health and nutrition.



The Pioneer, 15 November, 2011, http://dailypioneer.com/nation/20699-civil-society-groups-slam-dilution-by-govt.html


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