New Food Security Bill likely to increase food rate by 30

The Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has lamented the government announcement on Monday that it will soon introduce a Bill to enact a Food Security law that will provide 25 kg of rice and/or wheat at Rs 3 to each family below the poverty line.

In a letter to the union PDS minister Sharad PawarSharad Pawar, it expressed fears that such a law is likely increase food rate by 30 per cent and may cut 35 per cent monthly allocation of more than 32 million poor families under existing Antyodaya scheme if proposed bill for food security is passed in the parliament as per announcement.

VJAS President Kishore Tiwari said that they expected that the government will start new scheme to poor afetr President Pratibha PatilPratibha Patil had, on June 4, said a National Food Security Act would be formulated whereby each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 25 kg of rice or wheat per month at Rs 3 a kg, a promise made by the Congress before general elections 2009 .

But surprisingly, he said that while presenting the Union Budget 2009-10, finance minister Pranab MukherjeePranab Mukherjee said with out giving any fund as this scheme needs more than Rs.50,000 crore allocation that the Bill will soon be introduced after consultation with different stakeholders. and it was told that so called draft Food Security Bill will be put up on the website of the ministry of food and public distribution for public debate on this issue.

Tiwari said that it's mare time consuming as BPL list is ready and at present, the Centre is providing 35 kg of rice or wheat per month to each BPL family. Wheat is supplied at Rs 4.15 per kg while rice at Rs 5.65 a kg to over four crore families living below the poverty line. Now if new food security bill is likely to reduce the monthly allocation by 10 k.g. and all all poorest of poor under existing BPL list are also likely to pay @ of Rs.3 kg in place of Rs.2 kg. Hence, new food security bill may turn in food insecurity bill , Tiwari added.

The Centre has enough food grain in its buffer stock to implement the control order 2001 as per apex court order in right to food petition of H D Dua. But , he wondered that till date state has failed to address serious issue of poverty hunger when there is the bumper foodgrain output and higher minimum support prices and the government has procured a record of over 250 lakh tonnes of wheat and over 300 lakh tonnes of rice till July 3 this marketing season.

VJAS has asked union PDS minister Sharad Pawar to take out some time from his busy schedules of cricket association elections to clear basic doubts about proposed New Food Security Bill. (EOM)