FOOD SECURITY BILL- AN ANALYSIS.

Need of bill- the latest global hunger index of international food policy research institute says that India ranks a low 65 out of 79 countries in terms of child mortality, malnourishment, and low child weight. To address this nutritional deficiency and set thing right, national advisory council wrote to p on October 27, with framework of food security bill.

Highlights of the bill

• The Bill seeks to offer rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse cereals at Rs 1 per kg to the intended beneficiaries. Up to 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population will get 5 kg of food grain monthly. The poorest who fall under the Anthodia Anna Yojana will continue with their present monthly entitlement of 35 kg of food grains.

• The Bill will entitle around 80 million of India’s 1.2 billion populations to subsidized food grain under the Targeted Public Distribution System.

• States are given the responsibility to decide on eligibility criteria based on socio-economic and caste census (SECC) data. However, the SECC survey is likely to take six more months.

• Pregnant women and lactating mothers would receive a maternity benefit of at least Rs 6,000.

• Children aged six months to 14 years will get take-home rations or hot cooked food.

• The central government will also provide money to states and union territories if it runs low on grain as well as providing them with “assistance” towards the cost of intra-state transportation and handling of grains.

• In a bid to give women more authority in running their households, the oldest adult woman in each house would be considered the head of that household for the issuing of ration cards.

• At the coverage and entitlement now proposed, the total estimated annual food grains requirement is 612.3 lakh tons and the corresponding estimated food subsidy for implementation of NFSB, at 2013-14 costs, is about Rs 1,24,747 crore.

• There will be state and district level redressal mechanism with designated nodal officers. Redressal mechanism may also include call centers, helpline etc.

• The Bill provides for penalty to be imposed on public servants or authority, if found guilty of failing to comply with the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer

PRIMARY CONCERNS

1. Steep cost- the main concern about the bill is doing out rs 1.3 lakh per year, which is major chunk of tax payers money. That is up from the rs. 90,000 roe being currently spent on food subsidies by the centre.
2. Who will bear the burden? There is still no clarity as to who will bear the burden of the massive subsidy that will be shelled out. But if the onus falls on the farmers, it will make their life even harder. The low prices of the subsidized food can distort the market and farmers who can’t sell to the government – assured programme will lose out on the open market because prices will be forced down
3. Pilferage- the big concern is whether the food will reach the beneficiaries. the possible pilferage by middleman and racketeers and wastage because of derelict supply chain and inefficient PDS and integrated child development services .

Defining the poor- bill is categorically aimed at the poor, but universalisation is required sine it is rather difficult to monitor who is rich and poor. According to the plan panels estimation in 04-05, 30 crore people lived below the poverty line. However according to the rural development ministry India has 40 crore poor.



Author- 

Madhvi Chopra
5th Year,
Guru Go bind Singh Indraprastha University 

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