Activists demand effective National Food Security legislation

Scores of activists of 'Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan', an organisation of over 30 groups working together for food security, today reached here from various parts of the state.

They demanded from the government to remove the distinction of APL-BPL and open the doors of the godowns to distribute the grains to needy.

They began several yatras from different parts of the state to highlight their demands and arrived here today and gave representations in the name of Prime Minister, Governor and Chief Minister.

After holding a meeting, the activists handed over the representations to officials in which they demanded that everyone should be given subsidised cereals, pulses and edible oil; every single woman, disabled persons and aged people should be given unconditional pension of Rs 2000.

"The painful truth is that at this time, there is more than 8 crore tons of cereals in the FCI godowns which will increase to become 10 crore ton after the Kharif crops are harvested and procured. On the other hand, there are children, adults and aged people who are hungry and malnourished," said the memorandum submitted by them.

Is there a crime bigger than letting cereals rot, or be eaten by mice and exported at subsidised rates to become animal feed?, they asked in the memorandum.

The yatras will go through Sawai Madhopur, Kota to reach Kishanganj and Shahabad in Baran districts.

"Till now through these yatras in public and 'Nukkad' Sabhas, ten thousand people have been contacted and thousands of signatures have been taken," activist Kavita Srivastava said.

She said that the yatra for "cheap ration for all and distribution of grains from the overflowing godowns" reached Jaipur from three different directions.