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News Alerts | Floods expose anomalies in the proposed Food security Act

Floods expose anomalies in the proposed Food security Act

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published Published on Oct 7, 2009   modified Modified on Oct 7, 2009

The ongoing floods in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharasthra have pushed millions of rural folks below the poverty line. The tragedy which is far from over has exposed the anomalies in the system of categorization of BPL families as proposed in the concept note of the Food Security Act. More than 200 people have died and over 2.5 million rendered homeless in AP and Karnataka alone. Almost all farmers in the affected areas have lost their standing crops, cattle, assets and even manures and seeds and the full impact of all this is yet to be estimated.

According to the concept note of the Food Security Act (as prepared by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution that became available on 4 June, 2009) the validity of the new BPL ration cards would be fixed for 5 years, after which they will automatically expire. Perhaps, the note assumes that the BPL would automatically move one notch above in five years while the opposite seems to be the case in areas affected by environmental calamities like floods, droughts and excess rainfall that are common in India

The floods and their aftermath highlight that ensuring food security to the families affected by adverse climate need to be on the policy planners’ priority list. In this light, the proposal of the concept note that the APL households would not be entitled to cheaper PDS grains sounds ridiculous.

The same concept note mentions that multiplicity of food schemes would be abandoned under the new law, which means discontinuation of a number of food and nutrition related schemes. The disaster also brings into question the usefulness of this proposal apart from strengthening the case for the continuation of various food and nutrition related schemes for the affected children, women, and other vulnerable people like the aged and the destitute.

If the frequencies of disasters like floods, earthquakes, landslides, excessive rains and tsunamis in the region are any indication, the country will have to be prepared for dealing with their aftermaths by factoring the ensuing devastation in the food and nutrition schemes.

According to latest reports, although the flood situation is improving in Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh, hundreds of villages in Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda are still submerged. Over 50 villages in Andhra Pradesh are submerged in water following unprecedented flooding of the Krishna River. Floods in Andhra Pradesh have caused destruction to minor irrigation projects apart from livestock population and housing. In economic terms, the damage could be worth more than Rs. 12,000 crore. 

Further readings:


Rain batters South India, flood deaths go up to 194, The Asian Age, 3 October, 2009,
http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/t
op-story/rain-batters-south-india,-flood-deaths-go-up-to-1
94.aspx

Million people displaced, over 230 dead, Rediff.com, 5 October, 2009,
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/oct/05/slide-show-1
-million-people-displaced.htm

Floods displace over 18 lakh people, 6 October, 2009,
http://in.news.yahoo.com/242/20091006/1334/tnl-floods-disp
lace-over-18-lakh-people.html
     

Floods leaves over 2.5 million people homeless, 6 October, 2009,
http://in.news.yahoo.com/242/20091006/1334/tnl-floods-leav
es-over-2-5-million-peopl.html

ACT Alert: Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh Floods, India, Reuters, 5 October, 2009,
http://alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/222031/125475440582.htm

Flood situation worsens in Andhra Pradesh, The Hindu, 5 October, 2009,
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/05/stories/2009100557090100.htm

Floods leave 2.5 mn homeless, 250 dead, Reuters, 6 October, 2009,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/F
loods-leave-25-mn-homeless-250-dead/articleshow/5092782.cm
s

IS RIGHT TO FOOD BILL FACING DILUTION?, Inclusive Media for Change, http://im4change.org/articles.php?articleId=96 

 

 

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