National Food Security; challenges before the New Government.

MEN AT WORK; A SILENT REVOLUTION TAKING PLACE

Among many other challenges posed before the new UPA government, providing food security to all undernourished and mal nourished population is the most challenging and herculean one. Why is this challenge so huge? Why can this problem not be deferred? These are the questions which will meet answers in the report released by UNICEF only a couple days ago.
The latest report of UNICEF on hunger in South Asia is shame on humanity not because we have not been able to eradicate poverty and hunger from this region; but due to glaring paradoxes in which prosperity, growth, buoyancy in financial markets, increase in number of HNIs and other indices of growth on the one hand and poverty, hunger, malnutrition and child deaths exist side by side. It is disdainful and no civilised country can give political and economic sophistry whatsoever to downplay or decouple it from progress and development. How can a Nation move in which billions of population is in thrall of abject poverty and abhorrable hunger?
The report says that hunger in South Asia has reached to highest level in 40 years due to global financial crisis (GFC) leading to rise in prices of fuel, food and fodder. India did not fall incidentally in the trap of hunger and poverty; but it has been under this labyrinth for many years despite spectacular robust economic performance in almost all sectors of economy including agriculture. It is ironical that in spite of bumper food grains production in successive years, the food security situation has not improved significantly. We had reports when people die for want of food in Kalahndi, Balangir and Koraput areas (KBK) in state of Orissa despite food grains in FCI go-downs and warehouses were decomposing and decaying. What a travesty!
The report says the region would witness 100 million people going to bed without food; worst among the countries are Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. India is not an exception, the report laments.
Only a few months ago, a comprehensive report was prepared by M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and World Food Programme (WFP) on hunger and food security in India. This report has said that about 40 billion population i.e. 1/3rd of the population suffer from energy deficiency due to mal or under nutrition in India. This report made startling revelation that about 40% of the children below 5 years of age are under nourished and about 27% of the world’s undernourished population live in India which stands at 94th rank on Global Hunger Index in 2001.
Even according to the FAO, number of hungry people in India has increased by 19 million between1991 to 2001. Nearly half the children are chronically malnourished. According to NSSO about 1/3rd or 200 million rural Indian populations spend only 12 rupees/ a day and consume only 12 kilograms of cereals per month. Situation of Urban poor is also not better.
Under the above mentioned grim scenario, the proposed National Food Security Act is a commendable initiative of government। This law would hopefully realise dreams of Mahatma Gandhi to provide food to every human, a goal that was inserted and enshrined in Constitution of India as Right to life (Article-21) sixty years ago. The proposed legislation seeks to provide access to sufficient food to the deprived section of society by making provision therein to provide 25 Kilo Grams of wheat or rice per month at a subsidised rate of Rs/-3 rupees/ Kg to the families living below poverty line (BPL). This legislation is perhaps the first of its kind after NREGA. After nearly huge success of NREGA, both in terms of providing employments and public spending, hopes of successful execution of this proposed legislation are also running high. According to reports and figures of Ministry of RD, about 460 crore man days employment have been created with Rs/-35,000 Crore expenditure under NREGS across the states in India. It is a consolable figure even if sporadic instances of corruption and pilferages are taken into account. Mechanism of social audit needs to be strengthened and people’s participation into these schemes can further be encouraged. This programme is all set to bring a social and economic revolution in rural India; a concept which has gained appreciation in countries like USA, UK and host of others.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT, A HUGE SUCCESS- when NREGA was enacted, many Neocons were pessimist about its implementation। But when it was implemented in February 2005 in as many as 200 districts in Phase-I (one) across Nation, it started giving encouraging results and some states did exceeding well. Within years of its execution, rural population in some states socked desired level of benefits. The benefits have started percolating down slowly but steadily. Nonetheless a lot more is required to be done to make in more result oriented and successful.

१. The payment mode of wage component in the scheme needs to be made less complicated and time consuming. At the same time wage should be hiked and should not be linked with minimum wages Act or any other such law which regulate wage size.
·२.The assets which are sought to be created in due course of work done in this scheme should be reoriented and reshaped. Many a times such types of schemes are selected which are of little or no use at all. More expertise are required to be involved at gram Panchayat level to select more useful schemes which will both create employment and assets.
३.Social audit of NREGS are required to be institutionalise and made effective. The use of Right To Information Act (RTI), 2005 can be of immense use.
४.The proposed National Food Security Act should be synergised with NREGS so that a composite and comprehensive programme is evolved which in turn help fight hunger and poverty.
५.NREGS is a rural employment and job guarantee scheme and is confined to rural areas only, but the hunger and unemployment in urban areas are also grim and gloomy. It is therefore desirable on part of the government to enact similar law for urban areas also. The National Food Security Act should be made applicable in urban areas also. If this law is implemented effectively can be a land mark in the economic, constitutional and social-political history of India.
Hopefully the government would undertake this challenge in positive and unflinching resolve and implement this law to eradicate the blot of hunger and poverty for ever from this country once for all. The flagship schemes of government of India have paid dividends in the period of crisis. It seems that Keynesian theory has worked here; of course Indianised version of Keynesian theory. Hopefully India would perhaps pioneer the world by giving an alternate model of economy.