-The Economic Times   Dear Smt Gandhi, We, a group of academic economists, are writing to you about the proposed National Food Security (NFS) Act legislation that is of profound importance to India's economy. We believe that it is appropriate that India pursues the goal of genuine food security for all through a law that guarantees a minimum transfer to every adult except a small subset of the most affluent who...

-The Hindu   “Surveys leading to move are misleading, towing a pre-planned agenda” Opposing the Delhi Government's move to extend a pilot project in the Capital for providing cash subsidies in place of subsidised foodgrains for the needy, a group of non-government organisations led by social activist Arvind Kejriwal has said the decision is “questionable” and that the surveys conducted ahead of the project's implementation were “misleading”. One of these surveys conducted by...

The Sheila Dikshit government is ready to shut PDS Shops in Delhi, ringing the death knell for not only the poor but also the middle class because black marketers will have a free run said Arvind Kejriwal, civil society activist and founder of Parivartan. Instead, the government proposes that Rs 1,000 be deposited in the bank accounts of the women of BPL families for buying foodgrain. Even though PDS is not...

-The Business Standard   A group of activists led by Arvind Kejriwal today raised questions about Delhi government's move to provide cash instead of subsidised foodgrains for the poor, suspecting that the survey conducted ahead of the rolling out of the project was not genuine. "Why is Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit taking so much interest in the scheme? Why is she hell bent upon closing down PDS Shops? Is the Chief Minister...

-Express News Service   A Delhi government pilot study to test waters in the cash-for-food scheme is facing stiff resistance. NGO Parivartan, led by RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, raised questions on Thursday about the move. Another NGO, which has been entrusted with the pilot study, has, meanwhile, alleged that Parivartan workers have threatened the families who are part of the study. The pilot study, involving 500 households in Raghubir Nagar, West Delhi, is...