After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took off the “load” from agriculture minister Sharad Pawar’s shoulders by taking away the food and consumers affairs portfolio from the NCP chief, the new food and consumer affairs minister K.V. Thomas said controlling high food prices would be his top priority.
“The biggest challenge will be price rise of onion and other vegetable items. I think everybody should work together,” Mr Thomas said.
He further said prices of vegetables will have to be brought under control with the assistance of state governments, panchayats and the farmers.
Mr Thomas, who was MoS and now holds independent charge of the food and consumer affairs ministry, is a Congress MP. He will also be responsible for drafting the National Food Security Bill, UPA government’s flagship legislation, besides fixing the “corrupt and inefficient” public distribution system. The food ministry had been citing availability of grains as a constraint towards the implementation of the proposed food security bill.
The new food and consumer affairs minister would also have to tackle the problem of grain wastage due to lack of storage facilities. “Distribution of food grains to the poor through ration shops across the country is a Herculean task,“ said Mr Thomas.
Under attack from the Opposition due to high food prices, which have been hitting the UPA government, Mr Pawar had asked the PM to lighten his burden last year. Before the reshuffle, Mr Pawar was heading the agriculture, food and public distribution and consumer affairs ministries. Now, besides agriculture, Mr Pawar would head the food processing ministry. He would get two junior ministers (both Congress MPs) Harish Rawat and Arun Yadav to assist him.
Mr Pawar had faced criticism that as International Cricket Council president he was devoting less time to the domestic problems related to the agriculture and food ministries.
Mr Thomas’ elevation means that while enhancing grain procurement to meet the requirements of the proposed food security bill would be his responsibility, Mr Pawar would have to do his bit by enhancing agricultural production to sustain the right to food legislation in the log run.