The Indian Government has tabled the Food Security Bill in the parliament this week. The Bill entitles the following
1) 75% of Rural population & 50% of urban population will get 5kg at a price of Rs 3/kg for Rice, Rs 2/kg for wheat and 1/kg for coarse grains
2) Also entails free meals for pregnant/lactating women till 6 months after the delivery through the anganwadis and also a financial support of 6000 Rs for maternity support
3) Also entails free meals for children from the age of 6 months to 14 years either through the anganwadis or Mid day meal programs in schools.
Basically the law claims to address the following
1) Right to food for targeted households
2) Provide nutritional support for Pregnant/lactating women
3) Provide nutritional support for children
What are the objections that people have raised?
1) Some states like Tamil Nadu already provide rice at much cheaper price and they are complaining that this act will take that away.
Response : This is a myth. The act will only reduce the subsidiary burden of the state and pass it on to the center.
2) Some states where more people have moved to urban areas complain that their current food supply entitlement from the center will go down
Response : Partially true. Even though there were oral promises provided by the central government there is nothing in the act as it is tabled in the parliament.
3) Some states are complaining that this act takes away the federal structure
Response : This is a myth. The people who will receive the benefits under this act are to be identified by the state government. As in lot other central programs like MGNREGA, etc. the state governments will be implementer of this act
4) Some states are complaining that this is not universal and they already have a universal PDS.
Response : This is partially true. However, this does take away a huge subsidiary burden from the state government and pass it to the central government. This money can be used for various other social benefit programs.
5) Some intellectuals are complaining that 5kg per person is not enough and they want this to be increased to 7 kg.
Response : These entitlement of 5kg per person is more than enough as calorific requirements of individuals.
6) This does not address the mal nutrition issues
Response : This is true except in the case of Pregnant women and children upto 14 who are covered through free meals. Rice and wheat does not address mal nutrition concerns. We need to add proteins and iron to address those concerns. However, there is an ulterior motive of winning the elections which this will deliver as in the case of NTR winning his last election or Karunanidhi winning the 2006 elections.
7) PDS is already leaking and that's not the right way to deliver the subsidized food.
Response : Completely agree. Every time you don't buy anything at the ration shop, the staff there take away your entitlements and sell it black market. Probably an aadhar linked PDS with biometric authentication will ensure only such things don't happen in future.
Summary
We do not need such a large entitlement program to address mal nutrition. We do not have 67% of our population suffering from mal nutrition. And rice and wheat alone will not address mal nutrition. People will have more money now to buy milk/pulses etc. which they were using to buy rice/wheat. End of the day the state cannot provide everything at a subsidy.
I like the second and 3rd part of the acts which ensures free meals to Pregnant women and kids between 6 months and 14 years.
All the states are given 6 to 12 months to implement this act from the time it is passed in the parliament. Will that give enough time for the benefits to trickle down and the Congress government to use it? I doubt.
1) 75% of Rural population & 50% of urban population will get 5kg at a price of Rs 3/kg for Rice, Rs 2/kg for wheat and 1/kg for coarse grains
2) Also entails free meals for pregnant/lactating women till 6 months after the delivery through the anganwadis and also a financial support of 6000 Rs for maternity support
3) Also entails free meals for children from the age of 6 months to 14 years either through the anganwadis or Mid day meal programs in schools.
Basically the law claims to address the following
1) Right to food for targeted households
2) Provide nutritional support for Pregnant/lactating women
3) Provide nutritional support for children
What are the objections that people have raised?
1) Some states like Tamil Nadu already provide rice at much cheaper price and they are complaining that this act will take that away.
Response : This is a myth. The act will only reduce the subsidiary burden of the state and pass it on to the center.
2) Some states where more people have moved to urban areas complain that their current food supply entitlement from the center will go down
Response : Partially true. Even though there were oral promises provided by the central government there is nothing in the act as it is tabled in the parliament.
3) Some states are complaining that this act takes away the federal structure
Response : This is a myth. The people who will receive the benefits under this act are to be identified by the state government. As in lot other central programs like MGNREGA, etc. the state governments will be implementer of this act
4) Some states are complaining that this is not universal and they already have a universal PDS.
Response : This is partially true. However, this does take away a huge subsidiary burden from the state government and pass it to the central government. This money can be used for various other social benefit programs.
5) Some intellectuals are complaining that 5kg per person is not enough and they want this to be increased to 7 kg.
Response : These entitlement of 5kg per person is more than enough as calorific requirements of individuals.
6) This does not address the mal nutrition issues
Response : This is true except in the case of Pregnant women and children upto 14 who are covered through free meals. Rice and wheat does not address mal nutrition concerns. We need to add proteins and iron to address those concerns. However, there is an ulterior motive of winning the elections which this will deliver as in the case of NTR winning his last election or Karunanidhi winning the 2006 elections.
7) PDS is already leaking and that's not the right way to deliver the subsidized food.
Response : Completely agree. Every time you don't buy anything at the ration shop, the staff there take away your entitlements and sell it black market. Probably an aadhar linked PDS with biometric authentication will ensure only such things don't happen in future.
Summary
We do not need such a large entitlement program to address mal nutrition. We do not have 67% of our population suffering from mal nutrition. And rice and wheat alone will not address mal nutrition. People will have more money now to buy milk/pulses etc. which they were using to buy rice/wheat. End of the day the state cannot provide everything at a subsidy.
I like the second and 3rd part of the acts which ensures free meals to Pregnant women and kids between 6 months and 14 years.
All the states are given 6 to 12 months to implement this act from the time it is passed in the parliament. Will that give enough time for the benefits to trickle down and the Congress government to use it? I doubt.
No comments:
Post a Comment