Inter-state food grain movement should not be restricted: Naidu

Union Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for not imposing any restriction on inter-state movement of food grains.

"I feel that thre should not be any restriction with regard to the movement of food grains with the country and there should be one food zone as it existing during the regime of Morarji Desai," he said at the 'International Conference on Science, Technology and Public Policy to achieve Zero Hunger Challenge' organised here by the M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

Naidu said the central government is keen about second phase of 'Green' (agriculture production) and 'White' (milk production) Revolutions while giving a fillip to 'Blue' Revolution (marine products).

He said Indian farmers need to be encouraged and empowered to produce more to meet the growing and diversifying food needs.

According to him the central government's approach is to ensuring four 'Is' - irrigation, infrastructure, interest rates and insurance.

"The first year of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government focused on revival of the economy with a thrust on infrastructure and this year it had decided to focus on agriculture, particularly irrigation," Naidu said.

He said the government has allocated Rs 50,000 crore for irrigation, but this was not sufficient.

According to him there is an urgent need to look at the agriculture income insurance scheme which the central and state governments have to jointly work on.

Naidu said the central government is moving in the direction of furthering the objectives of the Zero Hunger initiative of the secretary general of the United Nations with five fold objectives viz (a) zero stunted children less than two years old (b) 100 percent access to adequate food all year round (c) sustainable food systems (d) 100 percent increase in small holder productivity and income and (e) zero loss or waste of food.