National Food Security Bill
The draft of the National Food Security Act is going to be presented before Parliament in the winter session. This was one of the main promises made by the Indian National Congress in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, 2009.
With five major states including Uttar Pradesh headed for elections soon, the Food Security Bill has the potential to fashion the sort of popularity for UPA 2 that was accomplished for the government’s last term in power through the Right to Work. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act played a key role in the fortunes of UPA1.
According to the Global Hunger Index, India is ranked 67 among 81 developing countries — worse than nearly 25 Sub-Saharan African countries and all of South Asia, except Bangladesh.
Every year, around 2.5 million people in India die of hunger. Almost, 56% women of maternal age are malnourished. As a result, they give birth to malnourished children, perpetuating the cycle. In India, 57% of children below the age of 3, are severely or moderately stunted and under-weight. In addition, rising food prices are threatening the survival of poor people.
Conceptually, ‘Right to Food’ has noble intentions as it provides poor people the right to adequate food and the right to live free from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The UN Millennium Development Goals also stress on eradicating extreme hunger. Under this Act, all below the poverty line (BPL) households will be entitled to 25 kg rice or wheat at the rate of Rs.3 per kg.
There are several food security measures in the country such as Antodaya Anna Yojna Program, Mid-day Meal scheme, Ration Cards etc which have failed to tackle the problem as hunger and malnourishment continue unabated. Right to Food is yet another food security measure which relies heavily on the weak public distribution system and therefore, its success in the future is doubtful.
Government needs to reform Public Distribution that may includes door-step delivery, food coupons, usage of Aadhar for identification and cash transfers (instead of food grains) to limit or eliminate role of middlemen and ration shops where huge amounts of subsidised grain go missing.
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