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Government's food subsidy bill totals Rs 60000 crore

The Centre is gearing up to put in place a stringent monitoring system for the Public Distribution System (PDS) even as coining the food security law becomes more complicated and prolonged. Some 11 states gave their suggestions to the Centre on the issue here today at a meeting of state food ministers, in what is seen as a bid by food minister Sharad Pawar to bring PDS back into the limelight even as the food law makers waffle. In fact, the conference was expected to be held on the anniversary of the TPDS last month but had to be postponed.

The PDS has come under intense scrutiny and criticism by several panels including that of the Planning Commission for marked leakage of food grains, especially that meant for Above Poverty Line (APL) consumers. Strengthening the PDS and increasing efficiency by plugging leakage is very important. You cannot throw out the baby with the bathwater. The food law is the larger framework under which the PDS has to function efficiently, a ministry
official said.

The meeting is expected to empower states to replicate successful models of PDS strengthening by some states in others where the system is weak. Both Punjab and Haryana are expected to implementation pilot schemes replicating Chhattisgarh s model of identifying consumers for the PDS./ .

The presentation of the 11 states on effective implementation of the PDS in their respective states is expected to be submit dot the food minister and the Planning Commission on Tuesday. The suggestions included identification of beneficiaries, a highly controversial subject, augmenting storage capacity at all levels, timely distribution of rations, ensuring delivery to consumers and plugging leakage.

Significantly, Minister Pawar is understood to be of the view that the PDS is more, or at least as crucial as the food security law which aims to provide 35kg of food grain to BPL consumer families. Besides, a senior Food ministry official indicated that the Centre would likely implement the food law only at a politically conducive juncture. Tacitly, though, the move to beef up the PDS, the universalisation of which has been demanded by the Left parties for some time now, is also seen as a bid by Mr Pawar to reclaim the political gains accruing from the efficient implementation of the targetted PDS.

The National Advisory Council, headed by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, is looking into the draft of the proposed Bill and will send its recommendations to the central government. A senior Food Ministry official said. But the debate continues over the number of beneficiaries under the scheme and the increase in the quantity of rations.