15:15 hrs
Actually our country is in state of ' stable famine '. Our Central Government has proposed a Food Security Bill which it claims to be 'sharp'. But if the draft of Food Security Bill that is currently before the Standing Committee of the Parliament gets passed , it will get worse.The proposed Food Security Bill means to alleviate this nation from starvation,is a disaster.The bill shows three categories - excluded,general (Above Poverty Line) and priority ( Below Poverty Line).People in the general category get a monthly 3 kg of grain per capita and the priority category get 7 kg . The very basic method by which they identify these categories is faulty.According to the government,an urban person whose daily expenditure is Rs 32 or less and a rural person whose daily expenditure is Rs 26 or less is BPL.The criteria and implementation are faulty so how it benifit the people ?That beggar having earned Rs 40 in just two minutes would be dreading of an income - tax department raid as he is above the BPL mark.
The grievance redressal system proposed in the bill is also faulty.The Food security Bill allows the Government to change from PDS (Public Distribution System) to cash transfer system at any point of time. It is a step backward from existing system. According to the research by economist Usha Patnaik,there has been a steady decline in grain consumption over 10 year period.A family of five that used to consume 880 kg of grains annually consumes only 770kg after lapse of 10 years.And since this a mean figure,it means that the economically advantaged have actually increased their consumption and the decline for the economically backward is far greater.Planning Commission in 2011 submitted an affidavit in Supreme Court which revises the recommended calorific intake downward to 1800 per day;this is against the Indian Council for Medical Research's recommendation of 2400 calories per day for people doing moderate work and 2100 calories per day for those doing sedentary work.
We need an extensive public campaign to acquaint people with flaws of the Bill and the need for a Bill that will enable people to get enough food.I don't know what game my fate will play with me in the future.But I have every reason to work for the welfare for such kind of helpless people.In fact I really want to improve the living standard of these people .I don't have any idea about the strategy in the mind of the government.It is thinking hard over spending Rs 1 Lakh crores to provide sufficient food,but easily spends Rs 5 lakh crore towards tax revisions for corporates!!Well whatever is in the mind of government I will try my best to curb widespread malnutrition across the country which is just now wearing the medal of potential to improve due to faulty policies of the government.
Actually our country is in state of ' stable famine '. Our Central Government has proposed a Food Security Bill which it claims to be 'sharp'. But if the draft of Food Security Bill that is currently before the Standing Committee of the Parliament gets passed , it will get worse.The proposed Food Security Bill means to alleviate this nation from starvation,is a disaster.The bill shows three categories - excluded,general (Above Poverty Line) and priority ( Below Poverty Line).People in the general category get a monthly 3 kg of grain per capita and the priority category get 7 kg . The very basic method by which they identify these categories is faulty.According to the government,an urban person whose daily expenditure is Rs 32 or less and a rural person whose daily expenditure is Rs 26 or less is BPL.The criteria and implementation are faulty so how it benifit the people ?That beggar having earned Rs 40 in just two minutes would be dreading of an income - tax department raid as he is above the BPL mark.
The grievance redressal system proposed in the bill is also faulty.The Food security Bill allows the Government to change from PDS (Public Distribution System) to cash transfer system at any point of time. It is a step backward from existing system. According to the research by economist Usha Patnaik,there has been a steady decline in grain consumption over 10 year period.A family of five that used to consume 880 kg of grains annually consumes only 770kg after lapse of 10 years.And since this a mean figure,it means that the economically advantaged have actually increased their consumption and the decline for the economically backward is far greater.Planning Commission in 2011 submitted an affidavit in Supreme Court which revises the recommended calorific intake downward to 1800 per day;this is against the Indian Council for Medical Research's recommendation of 2400 calories per day for people doing moderate work and 2100 calories per day for those doing sedentary work.
We need an extensive public campaign to acquaint people with flaws of the Bill and the need for a Bill that will enable people to get enough food.I don't know what game my fate will play with me in the future.But I have every reason to work for the welfare for such kind of helpless people.In fact I really want to improve the living standard of these people .I don't have any idea about the strategy in the mind of the government.It is thinking hard over spending Rs 1 Lakh crores to provide sufficient food,but easily spends Rs 5 lakh crore towards tax revisions for corporates!!Well whatever is in the mind of government I will try my best to curb widespread malnutrition across the country which is just now wearing the medal of potential to improve due to faulty policies of the government.
