-Outlook A parsing of the recent expert report on food security reveals that most of its solutions do not meet the greater public good. The BJP's election manifesto had stated "that ‘universal food security' is integral to national security. BJP will take steps to ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach the common man and that the right to food does not remain an act on paper or a political...
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FCI reforms: prescription to cure or kill? -Roshan Kishore
-Livemint.com The abolition of a procurement-based programme would undermine the very raison d'être of FCI rather than bringing about any restructuring The report of the high-level committee on reorienting the role and restructuring of Food Corp. of India (FCI) is a pointer to the government's thinking on matters of agriculture and food security. Among the key recommendations of the committee are: winding up of the activities of FCI in traditional procurement states;...
More »Soon, farmers can insure against losses from natural disasters
-Business Standard Currently, the Department of Agriculture runs two crop insurance schemes, one of which is weather-based The Centre is devising an insurance product for farmers that will guarantee to make good their loss in income from natural calamities for at least seven years. For crops with minimum support prices (MSPs), the loss in income will be based on the MSP; for others, it will be calculated based on the average market...
More »Revamping Food Corp: Panel wants Food Security Act changed but will BJP bite the bullet? -Seetha
-FirstPost.com In 2001, the Hyderabad-based Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) was asked by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government to study the costs of acquisition and distribution of food grains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). After making a slew of suggestions, the report's author Gautam Pingle said the report was not making recommendations on "the more serious issue - of food grain policy" because it was beyond its scope....
More »Reduce food security benefits from 67% to 40% population, says panel on restructuring FCI -Jitendra
-Down to Earth Shanta Kumar committee report recommends privatisation, outsourcing and cash benefit transfer to cut food procurement and distribution costs The high level committee set up to look into the restructuring of Food Corporation of India has recommended reducing the number of beneficiaries under the Food Security Act-from the current 67 per cent to 40 per cent. It has also recommended allowing private players to procure and store food grains, stopping...
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