sschub - all newspapers are talking about nation food security bill 2013 so i think we should also. By the way, the bill is going to late. Here we read some basic provisions of bill, state food commission. before going ahead lets take a look why bill is going late. it will clear you some basic problems. ok lets move for national food security bill.
Why National Food Security Bill is being late ?
1: Fiscal Deficit
- Government doesn’t have enough incoming money(Revenue) to buy so much foodgrain and give it to poor people at cheaper rate. It’d require approx Rs.2 lakh crores per year.
- Consider it this way: one on side, Mohan wants to keep the minimum support price (MSP) high for the farmers. At the same time, he also wants to sell cheap food grain, so from whose pocket will the difference come out? Obviously tax-payers’.
- But people cannot be taxed beyond a level. And Government’s outgoing money (Expenditure) is already high thanks to fuel, fertilizer subsidies and defense purchases.
- One can look at the recent hike in petrol, LPG as a measure to reduce outgoing money, to make room for affording the Food security Act (or similar other scheme.)
- Government tried to increase the incoming money by disinvestment (that is selling Government’s shares in PSUs) but investors are not interested in buying shares at high price, hence ‘money collection target’ is not achieved.
2: Identification of Beneficiaries
- There is already disagreement between Planning Commission and various ministries over “who should get how much subsidized foodgrain.”
- UPA wants the National Food security Act to have a “Comprehensive coverage” (=“marketing-shock–value” during elections).
- For example Chhattisgarh Food security gives benefit to everyone except those who pay income tax/ property tax/ own big farm-land= 90% public covered, only 10% people are not-eligible. So this is wide coverage.
- Similarly States such as Tamilnadu already have provision for very cheap food grains.
- So, if beneficiary coverage is ‘small’ (e.g. only those earning less than Rs.3000/month are covered), then it won’t create the marketing shock valuefor elections.
- Hence “wide-coverage” necessary but to do such ‘wide-coverage’ on a national-scale=>need truckload of cash, which central Government doesn’t have.
- And if Government tries to implement food security without increasing its incoming money (Revenue), it’ll lead to huge fiscal deficit= other problems such as inflation, depreciation of rupee, decline in IIP etc. (more explained in earlier fiscal deficit article).
- So Mohan will have to nit-pick on who should get how much cheap foodgrain = new survey, new ID cards need to be issued= lengthy and time consuming process, cannot be finished before 2014 Lok Sabha election.
3: lack Manpower and Administrative machinery
- Chhattisgarh is a small state, so not very difficult to administer such food security scheme.
- But for a country large as India, Central Government doesn’t have the infrastructure or manpower to implement Food security on its own.
- And doing this food security work via State Government’s machinery = opens up room for all sort of corruption, leakages.
- Therefore Mohan seems to have concluded that Food Security is an implausible idea in its present form. Better just to send money directly to bank accounts of poor people, rather than relying on State Administrative machinery to run a full-fledged food security Act.
- Hence he recently announced “Direct cash transfer” prior to Gujarat, HP elections which basically hints that food security has taken a backseat for “Direct cash transfer” scheme.
3: Opposition party not supporting
- yes. it is also a big reason.
National Food Security Bill introduction
- becoz brainchild of Sonia Gandhi, so first it point to 2014 Lok Sabha election. but doesn't matter for upsc aspirants.
- covers 67 per cent population (including 75 per cent rural and 50 per cent urban) for subsidised grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS)
- support child/pregnant-women nutrition
- will be linked to the Aadhar scheme which provides every citizen with a UID that's linked to a database that includes the biometrics of all card-holders
What for Pregnant and Lactating Women in National food security bill
- Every pregnant and lactating mother is entitled to a free meal at the local anganwadi (during
What for Children in National food security bill
- For children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years, the Bill
- guarantees an age-appropriate free meal through the local anganwadi.
- For aged 6-14 years, one free mid-day meal every day (except on school holidays) in schools.
- Children who suffer from malnutrition will be identified through the local anganwadi and free meals will be provided to them through the local anganwadi.
- at least two women in State Food Commission
Public Distribution System (TPDS) Reform
- two types of households = Priority + Antyodaya
- Priority households = 5 kgs of foodgrains per person per month, and Antyodaya
- households = 35 kgs per household per month.
- The combined coverage of both shall extend up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population
How Identification of Eligible Households
- state-wise coverage of the PDS in terms of proportion of the rural/urban population.
- Then numbers of eligible persons will be calculated from Census population figures.
- The identification of eligible households is left to state governments. The lists of eligible households are to be placed in the public domain and displayed prominently by state government.
Set Up State Food Commissions
- creation of State Food Commissions.
- consist of a chairperson, five other members and a member-secretary (including at least two women and one member each from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes).
- The main function of the State Commission = to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the
- act, give advice to the states governments and their agencies, and inquire into violations of
- entitlements (either suo motu or on receipt of a complaint).
- State Commissions also have to hear appeals against orders of the District Grievance Redressal Officer and prepare annual reports to be laid before the state legislature.
District Grievance Redressal Officers
- appointed by state governments for each district to hear complaints and take action according to norms prescribed by state governments.
- If one is not satisfied he/she can go before the State Food Commission.
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