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 | NAC looking for expanded mandate by Smita Gupta

NAC looking for expanded mandate by Smita Gupta

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jul 1, 2010   modified Modified on Jul 1, 2010


Sonia-led council to discuss “procedures” and Food Security Bill

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC), in its second avatar, is looking to expand its mandate. On Thursday, when its members assemble for its first substantive meeting, the NAC will discuss “procedures,” alongside the crucial — and now controversial — Food Security Bill, while a sub-committee will tackle the Communal Violence Bill.

The Communal Violence Bill will come up before the NAC on July 15.

NAC sources said some of the new members felt that a large swathe of civil society outside the council should be engaged as part of its deliberations and research organisations employed to conduct independent evaluations of ongoing government programmes. Also, the NAC should have a larger reach than what it had in its first tenure, the new members said.

Controversial?

This could be controversial, the sources said. For, this sort of expanded mandate would mean the NAC clashing with the Planning Commission and earning the wrath of the State governments. “I am of the opinion,” an NAC member (who was there in the first term as well) told The Hindu, “we should confine our dealings to the Union Ministries and to making policy recommendations. We can't be doing the Planning Commission's job, we can't take over monitoring of the State governments.”

Asked why these issues did not arise in NAC 1, he said, “Last time, things just evolved.”

Apart from this, the key issue will be the Food Security Bill. Harsh Mander, a new member, who has been an active food rights campaigner, will be making a presentation on Thursday, and it will then be discussed. This proposal, sources said, includes an Act that promises a monthly quota of 35 kg of cereals at Rs. 3 a kg per household; multilayered classification of target groups going beyond the standard below the poverty line (BPL) definition; ensuring nutritional requirements for the most vulnerable groups such as infants, small children and the aged through midday meals; and appointing State food commissioners as part of a grievance redress mechanism..

Hard battle ahead

Given that the draft Bill, now under discussion by an Empowered Group of Ministers promises much less, it looks as though it will be a long hard battle for the NAC. The draft Bill cleared by the EGoM in March delinked food security from nutritional security; recommended a blanket definition of BPL families without any provision for the most vulnerable; suggested a monthly quota of 25 kg of rice/wheat without fixing the price; introducing the concept of food security allowance to allow the government to provide cash if grain is unavailable; and a grievance redress mechanism left to individual State governments to set up.


The Hindu, 1 July, 2010, http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/01/stories/2010070163681400.htm


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