5 kg free ration for 5 more yrs? Modi dole 'hides' suspension of food security benefit

By Aysha, Gangaram Paikra*
The Central government is misrepresenting the National Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA) as their own initiative through Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a misrepresentation being used as an election dole. The Prime Minister of India in an election rally in Chhattisgarh on 4th November 2023, announced that the 5 kg free ration allocation to the ration card holder under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to 80 crore people has been extended for the next five years.
This announcement is a clear violation of the model code of conduct. The announcement of this policy decision reflects as an unfair means of influencing voters with the use of state machinery.
In April 2020, due to unprecedented economic distress, the Central government had announced the PMGKAY to provide an extra 5 kg of free foodgrains to every ration cardholder in addition to the NFSA entitlement of 5 kg foodgrains at subsidised rates (as per Schedule 2 of NFSA 2013). Therefore, since April 2020 ration cardholders were entitled to a 10 kg ration per person (5 kg under NFSA at a subsidized price and 5 kg free under PMGKAY).
On 23rd December 2022, the Union government announced that it would discontinue the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) from January 1, 2023. Since January, the central government has been referring to the Public Distribution System as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to hide the discontinuation of the additional 5 kg ration to every ration card holder.
The government has termed this as a ‘historic’ decision even though realistically it does not compensate for the high prices of many food commodities in any way. The net savings per person as a result of the announcement of the NFSA ration being free will be only around Rs 11 per month (4 kg of wheat x Rs 2 and 1 kg of rice x Rs 3).
Independent field surveys clearly highlight an alarming situation in the country. This cushion was only limited to those who possessed ration cards under the NFSA. Millions of equally vulnerable households continue to be excluded from the public distribution system as the quotas and coverage have not been revised for more than 12 years despite the increase in population. Currently, it is estimated that more than 10 crore of India’s most marginalized citizens are without ration cards.

It is estimated that more than 10 crore of India’s most marginalized citizens are without ration cards

The Supreme Court in an order dated April 20, 2023, in MA 94/2022 in ‘Re Problems and Miseries of Migrant Labourers’, has given significant directions to ensure food security for migrant workers and unorganised sector workers. 28.60 crores migrants/unorganized workers are registered on the eShram portal, of which 20.63 crores are registered on the ration card database.

The order directs all State/UT governments to issue ration cards under the NFSA to the 8 crore persons who are registered on the eShram portal but do not possess ration cards. A large number of migrant/unorganized labourers and their families have been deprived of access to subsidized food grains and other schemes under the National Food Security Act, as they do not possess ration cards. No state/union territory governments has initiated any steps to implement the Supreme Court's order.
The foodgrains allocation to all ration card holders is only limited to cereals (wheat, rice and millets). Essential commodities such as dal, cooking oil, vegetables etc, have still not been included in the food basket and their prices in the market are skyrocketing every month. In the market, the prices of dal are above Rs 150 per kilogram, and for cooking oil, prices are between Rs. 110-130 per litre.
The prices of various vegetables fluctuate every month due to high food price inflation. To put this in perspective, an analysis of the costs of a vegetarian thali meal (excluding curd, fruits and tea) revealed that the costs have jumped up by 42% from 2015 to 2022 (for a family of five persons). Such disproportionate increase in food prices are also leading to poor nutritional conditions largely among women and children due to a lack of dietary diversity.
Therefore, the priority to ensure food and nutritional security of every Indian citizen must focus on the universalisation of the PDS and expansion of the food basket -- this includes provision of dal and cooking oil in PDS. Under ICDS and MDM, it is important to increase provisions for women and children as well as inclusion of eggs for additional nutrition. The right to food for every Indian must be enshrined by the constitutional guarantee of NFSA as a legal entitlement and not as a handout or as part of any political promises.
---
*Convenors, Right to Food Campaign

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Where’s the urgency for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?

By Shankar Sharma* A recent news article has raised credible concerns about the techno-economic clearance granted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for a large Pumped Storage Project (PSP) located within a protected area in the dense Western Ghats of Karnataka. The article , titled "Where is the hurry for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?", questions the rationale behind this fast-tracked approval for such a massive project in an ecologically sensitive zone.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Structural retrogression? Steady rise in share of self-employment in agriculture 2017-18 to 2023-24

By Ishwar Awasthi, Puneet Kumar Shrivastav* The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017 to provide timely labour force data. The 2023-24 edition, released on 23rd September 2024, is the 7th round of the series and the fastest survey conducted, with data collected between July 2023 and June 2024. Key labour market indicators analysed include the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), which highlight trends crucial to understanding labour market sustainability and economic growth.

Venugopal's book 'explores' genesis, evolution of Andhra Naxalism

By Harsh Thakor* N. Venugopal has been one of the most vocal critics of the neo-fascist forces of Hindutva and Brahmanism, as well as the encroachment of globalization and liberalization over the last few decades. With sharp insight, Venugopal has produced comprehensive writings on social movements, drawing from his experience as a participant in student, literary, and broader social movements.

Authorities' shrewd caveat? NREGA payment 'subject to funds availability': Barmer women protest

By Bharat Dogra* India is among very few developing countries to have a rural employment guarantee scheme. Apart from providing employment during the lean farm work season, this scheme can make a big contribution to important needs like water and soil conservation. Workers can get employment within or very near to their village on the kind of work which improves the sustainable development prospects of their village.

'Failing to grasp' his immense pain, would GN Saibaba's death haunt judiciary?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The death of Prof. G.N. Saibaba in Hyderabad should haunt our judiciary, which failed to grasp the immense pain he endured. A person with 90% disability, yet steadfast in his convictions, he was unjustly labeled as one of India’s most ‘wanted’ individuals by the state, a characterization upheld by the judiciary. In a democracy, diverse opinions should be respected, and as long as we uphold constitutional values and democratic dissent, these differences can strengthen us.

94.1% of households in mineral rich Keonjhar live below poverty line, 58.4% reside in mud houses

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Keonjhar district in Odisha, rich in mineral resources, plays a significant role in the state's revenue generation. The region boasts extensive reserves of iron ore, chromite, limestone, dolomite, nickel, and granite. According to District Mineral Foundation (DMF) reports, Keonjhar contains an estimated 2,555 million tonnes of iron ore. At the current extraction rate of 55 million tonnes annually, these reserves could last 60 years. However, if the extraction increases to 140 million tonnes per year, they could be depleted within just 23 years.

Search This Blog