-Livemint.com Odisha, MP among those saying the move may compromise food security in some of the nation's poorest parts New Delhi: Plans by the centre to initiate cash transfers to poor households under the public distribution system (PDS) may run into trouble, with some states-notably Odisha and Madhya Pradesh-raising objections on the grounds that such a move may compromise food security in some of the poorest parts of the country. The states'...

-The Financial Express The government has decided to dispense with "levy rice", a mandatory system under which rice millers also undertake rice procurement for the public distribution system by buying paddy directly from the farmers, effective the next marketing season starting October. The system, introduced way back in 1978, is set to be withdrawn as the government felt that a lack of effective supervision often allowed the millers to avoid paying minimum...

Following the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar Committee report on restructuring of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), there are signs that the Central Government is in a hurry to replace the Public Distribution System (PDS) with cash transfers. The Government's intention has been revealed in two official letters (one dated 10 February 2015 and another dated 11 February 2015) that were sent from the Joint Secretary at Department of...

-Frontline A critique of the report of the high-level committee on restructuring the FCI and reviewing its role by TK Rajalakshmi SOON after assuming power at the Centre, Narendra Modi's National Democratic Alliance government set up a high-level committee on re-structuring the Food Corporation of India that was mandated to make the food management system more efficient. It was headed by Shanta Kumar, former Union Minister for Rural Development and former Chief...

-Livemint.com A high level committee submitted its report last month on reforming FCI and has suggested widespread changes in not only FCI, but also in NFSA Shanta Kumar is no stranger to the issues confronting the Food Corporation of India (FCI). His first brush with the issues of food security and hunger was in November 2000, when as a minister for food and consumer affairs during the first National Democratic Alliance (NDA)...