The draft food security bill has come in for sharp criticism from experts who have cautioned the government against rushing in with the law guaranteeing food grains to the poor.
“The first thing the government ought to do is to define food security. Bringing a law to guarantee it can come later,” said eminent agriculture scientist and Rajya Sabha member Prof. M.S. Swaminathan.
Prof. Swaminathan, who is considered the father of India’s green revolution, said according to international practice, food security relates to physical, economic and social well being of individuals and includes availability of balanced diet, clean drinking water and sanitation.
Instead, the bill just proposes 25 kg food grains per month per BPL family at Rs 3/kg and doesn’t talk about nutrition security at all.
Supporting a minimum of 35 kg per month for the BPL persons, food policy analyst Devinder Sharma said, “If the government really wants to provide nutrition security to the poor, the allocation should be 50 kg.”
Another point on which the experts criticise the draft bill is that since the government is already providing 35 kg of food grains to the below poverty line (BPL) persons under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS), why limit it to 25 kg?
Faced with the dilemma, especially after the intervention of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, an empowered group of ministers (eGoM) headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is examining the issue as the government will have to factor in a hike in its food subsidy bill if it decides to increase food grain allocation.
Mr Swaminathan said implementation of the legal entitlement to food grains in terms of certain quantity to be given per month per BPL family will need close monitoring by the government.
The TPDS is “inefficient” and heavy “leakages” result in the targeted beneficiaries being left out.
“I think the government should work on having common but differentiated entitlements for the elderly persons and the poor separately,” said Mr Swaminathan.
Though reforming the TPDS is a part of the proposed food security bill, Sharma termed it as a “casually” drafted document.
“The government is not serious about reforming the TPDS. In fact, the system should be dismantled,” said Devinder Sharma.
Besides quantity, availability of enough food grains in market too will have a bearing on the government’s ability to bring the proposed food security bill, added experts.