Food security measures kick up a row

Present scheme gives more benefits

The much-awaited announcement in the Union Budget to ensure entitlement of 25 kilo rice or wheat per month at Rs 3 per kilo to every family living below the poverty line in rural and urban areas, has raised more questions than it sought to answer.

What will happen to the present Antyodaya Anna Yojana? In all likelihood it will be brought under the new scheme under the yet to be framed National Food Security Act. The state governments, who are in charge of implementing the various food security schemes, are trying to find answer to the question. If that happens, then there will be a problem. Under the Antyodaya scheme, a BPL family is entitled to 35 kilo of rice or wheat per month at Rs 2 per kilo. Now, if that scheme is abolished in favour of the new scheme, then the same family will not only get 10 kilo less, it will be compelled to pay more for the monthly allotment of 25 kilo rice or wheat. Dilip Ghosh, special secretary of department of panchayat and rural development in West Bengal, says that the government is awaiting some more clarifications from the Centre on this point.

The problem of fixing monthly entitlement of food grains per BPL family at 25 kilo creates a tricky situation. While considering the family as a unit consisting of five members, it boils down to 5 kilo of food grains per head per month. But under Antyodaya the same entitlement goes up to 7 kilo per head per month. Under Annapurna Yojana, another centrally sponsored scheme targeting senior citizens of 65 years of age or above, who are eligible for old age pension under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) but are not getting the pension, are given 10 kilos of food grains per person per month free of cost. While deliberating on various Right to Food related cases, the Supreme Court has already indicated that 35 kilo per month per family should be made the base for creating such food security.

Once the new food security Act becomes operational, a number of state governments will have to refashion their respective food security measures, because some of the states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have introduced schemes of rice to poor families (target number varies from state to state). For example, Tamil Nadu gives 16-20 kilo of rice per month at Rs 1 per kilo, Chhattisgarh gives 35 kilo of rice. An official of Chhattisgarh government feels that the states might have to supplement the additional 10 kilo of food grains without cutting down on the present entitlement.

Dilip Ghosh, the special secretary of West Bengal’s department of panchayart and rural department, points out that there are some other schemes where the states will have to shell out more money, like under Janani Surakhsa Yojana (National Maternity Benefit Scheme) all BPL pregnant women are entitled to a cash benefit of Rs 500 irrespective of place of birth, age of mother and number of children, but in Tamil Nadu the state government pays Rs 1000.

But the real concern of the states comes from the huge responsibility imposed on them for the implementation of the new massive food security scheme of ensuring food security of at least 30% of the population. What will be the delivery mechanism for it? 

Dilip Ghosh, who is closely involved in the process of monitoring the implementation of various pro-poor schemes from the administration, is keen to know how the Central government would design the delivery mechanism of this massive scheme Ghosh says, “The present Public Distribution System (PDS) is archaic. It would hardly be in a position to deliver the goods at this scale.

Unless, the SHGs and local self governments are involved and entrusted with the responsibility of this scheme, it is bound to create difficulties.” Unfortunately, He feels that the present UPA government is not giving much importance to the local self government, and relying more on bureaucracy driven mechanism.