Prime Minister Manmohan Singh committed to bringing in the proposed National Food Security Act and said the government’s emphasis would be on increasing agricultural production and productivity.
Talking about food security, the PM said the government intends to improve the public distribution system so that the economically weaker sections of society become the true beneficiaries of the proposed right to food law.
He further said to achieve this objective, both the Centre and the state governments will have to work together.
Observing that the monsoon this year was good, the PM said that the nation’s granaries were full with wheat and rice. “We wants no citizen of the country should go to bed hungry,” said the PM while addressing the plenary of the Congress. Dr Singh urged the party activists to create awareness among people so that dispensations like PDS become effective in real terms. Focusing on the common man (aam aadmi), the PM mentioned that the UPA-1 government had sought renewed mandate in the 2009 general elections on the basis of work done for their welfare. “We had sought a mandate on the basis of our work for the welfare of farmers and for enhancing agricultural production,” said the PM.
Dr Singh also referred to initiatives like rural employment programme, loan waiver scheme for the farmers and the Bharat Nirman programme on which the UPA-1 had gone to the people seeking votes.
“We got the mandate we sought. it is our endeavour now that we remove our shortcomings and improve our performances,” said the PM. Expressing concern over inflation at 7.5 per cent, the PM said he expected it to stabilise at 5.5 per cent by around March 2011.
Expecting the Indian economy to grow at a rate between 9-10 per cent from next year onwards, the PM said this will help the government invest more resources in the social, education and health sectors.