-Down to Earth The country's 76 million poor have been denied the right to claim subsidised foodgrain under public distribution system The government has denied 76 million people in the country eligible to access public distribution system (PDS) the benefits of the food security system. For the past 20 years, the government has not cared to refresh its data and has been distributing foodgrain according to the population figure of 1991. Worse, the...
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Cash transfers are bad for food security-Madhavi Cherian
-The Hindu India's hard won gains in achieving food security are in danger of being undermined by a clause in the National Food Security Bill that encourages States to adopt cash transfers in lieu of food entitlements under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Supporting this view, a recent report by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) concluded that the provision of food subsidies in the form of cash would...
More »UPA committed to passage of Food Security Bill: PM
-ANI The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, today said the UPA Government is committed to the passage of Food Security Bill. "The Food Security Bill is a very important legislation for the government. The UPA is committed to make this law after considering all opinions," he said. Meanwhile, Food Minister K.V. Thomas said he has to look into various angles before taking a call. "I am neither ruling in or ruling out. I have...
More »Antyodaya Anna Yojana for Subsidised Foodgrains
-Press Information Bureau In order to make the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) more focused and targeted at the poorest of the poor, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 in all States/UTs for one crore families to be identified from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Coverage under this scheme has been expanded thrice since then i.e. during 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 covering additional 50 lakh households each...
More »Food Bill moved despite ruckus in Lok Sabha-Vinay Kumar
-The Hindu Bill represents a shift from welfare-based approach to a rights-based one:Food Minister Amid the Opposition uproar in the Lok Sabha over allegations of corruption in the UPA government, the National Food Security Bill was taken up for consideration on Monday. When, after frequent disruptions, the House reassembled at 3 p.m., Girija Vyas, who was in the Chair, announced that the House would take up for further consideration the motion moved by...
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