100 days is too little time to provide food to the millions of hungry. Importantly, there is no point trying either.
Food security is again back in the news. After being used as tool to grab votes, now it appears as if the President of India too is keen on the fact that the subject is accorded high priority. However, it appears rather unrealistic that problems, which could not been solved in 62 years after the independence, can be settled within the first 100 days of this UPA government! But then, what is the hurry?
Already trouble is brewing up between the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. The supply side would be a problem as within a time span of mere 100 days the things cannot be put into place. Besides, in its hurry the high-budgeted food security plan may (in all probability) would reach those who don’t need it and the needy people would be left, as usual, holding the can. There are other problems as well. The first is that the government is not yet decided as to whom it should target under the National Food Security Act. Data till 1996 shows that there are 360 million people living below poverty line (BPL). But since it is almost impossible to feed so many people at one go, the number of those covered would be 275 million. There is no consensus on how this figure was reached. As per the N. C. Saxena committee, which was formed to identify the numbers of BPL, the figures could be as high as 500 million. This coupled with the bottlenecks in the public distribution system, besides supply loopholes, makes it impossible for the food security plan to become successful.
But then it’s not the only problem?
The cost of implanting such a plan would be astronomical and there are no indications to an exact figure. Even the Finance Ministry has not offered any clues. As per sources Agriculture Ministry is looking at the Planning Commission to find a way out. It’s really sad that the three ministries involved do not have a clue.
Food security is again back in the news. After being used as tool to grab votes, now it appears as if the President of India too is keen on the fact that the subject is accorded high priority. However, it appears rather unrealistic that problems, which could not been solved in 62 years after the independence, can be settled within the first 100 days of this UPA government! But then, what is the hurry?
Already trouble is brewing up between the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. The supply side would be a problem as within a time span of mere 100 days the things cannot be put into place. Besides, in its hurry the high-budgeted food security plan may (in all probability) would reach those who don’t need it and the needy people would be left, as usual, holding the can. There are other problems as well. The first is that the government is not yet decided as to whom it should target under the National Food Security Act. Data till 1996 shows that there are 360 million people living below poverty line (BPL). But since it is almost impossible to feed so many people at one go, the number of those covered would be 275 million. There is no consensus on how this figure was reached. As per the N. C. Saxena committee, which was formed to identify the numbers of BPL, the figures could be as high as 500 million. This coupled with the bottlenecks in the public distribution system, besides supply loopholes, makes it impossible for the food security plan to become successful.
But then it’s not the only problem?
The cost of implanting such a plan would be astronomical and there are no indications to an exact figure. Even the Finance Ministry has not offered any clues. As per sources Agriculture Ministry is looking at the Planning Commission to find a way out. It’s really sad that the three ministries involved do not have a clue.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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