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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food law bid to pass buck

Food law bid to pass buck

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published Published on Aug 20, 2009   modified Modified on Aug 20, 2009


UPA's promised blanket of food security backed by a law could shrink very quickly leaving several crore families out of its cover if the food ministry's proposal on Food Security Act finds favour with the Cabinet. In a note that has left several state governments seething with anger, the food ministry has recommended that the number of families that get subsidised foodgrain under the Food Security Act be reduced to 5.9 crore, down 45% from the existing 10.68 crore Below Poverty Line card holders.

The food ministry has also proposed another way around providing food to the poor by recommending that the Act should allow states to simply distribute cash whenever it cannot deliver food.

The concept note of the food ministry has irked several state governments that have constantly argued against Centre's method of estimating poverty levels and allocating grains on the basis of these much lower numbers -- leaving the states to subsidise the food at their cost under the public distribution system.

Adding fuel to fire, the food ministry has also proposed that the states shall have no say in extending the benefits to other beneficiaries beyond those allowed by the Centre, even though the primary responsibility of implementing the Act would remain with the states and panchayat level officials.

At present, the Union government provides subsidised grains under targeted PDS for 6.52 crore people. But BPL cards have been distributed by the states to 10.68 crore people. The Centre now wants to reduce its burden yet further and only subsidise the grains for 5.91 crore people -- the figure reached by extrapolating the 2004-05 Planning Commission figures on the 2009 population size. Till date, the Centre has had its hands forced by the apex court, using a higher figure of 6.52 crore originating out of the 1993-94 estimates extrapolated out of 2000 population.

A food secretary from one of the eastern states, wishing to remain anonymous, told TOI, "Food issues are on concurrent list. The Centre wants to claim political mileage from the Food Security Act but is shifting the onus on states for implementing it even as it ties the state government's hands on the issue."

Taking a big brother approach, the food ministry has suggested penal provisions for state governments that violate regulations controlling the number of beneficiaries or the rates at which the rations are distributed.

At the same time, the ministry's proposal moots doing away with the lesser subsidy provided to Above Poverty Line cardholders. While the APL list has always been a source of controversy, several states use the allocation for APL quota to provide grains to the larger BPL list by putting in their own cross-subsidy.

The Centre is also thinking of merging the Integrated Child Development Scheme's nutrition programme as well as Mid-day Meal, Annapurna and other food-based welfare schemes for hostels and welfare institutions into what could become an overarching legislation. At the same time, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana for the poorest of the poor could also be done away with, the food ministry has proposed


Nitin Sethi, The Times of India, 24 June, 2009, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Food-law-bid-to-pass-buck/articleshow/4694018.cms
 

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