Centre has adopted National Food Security Act in the year 2013 as would provide food grains at highly subsidized rate to cover two third of the country’s population. This Act aims at providing rice, wheat, coarse cereals at Rs. 3, 2, & 1 per kg to almost millions of Indian. Food security has long been implementing in the country but what’s remarkable of NFSA 2013 is that the allocation and coverage of targets has overwhelmingly increased in which the Chief Minister of Nagaland termed this Act is the landmark in the state’s history.
It is reported that the centre has also assured of conceding to provide 75 percent of transportation subsidy in the ratio of 75:25 between centre and state for the cost of transportation of food grains from FCI godowns to designated point of sale. The poor masses have now confident that the state has adequate facilities and infrastructures for proper storage and safe keep of food grains stock. The poor should not be deprived from mismanagement or improper storage of food grains that left vulnerable to rain and attack by rodents in godowns.
The beneficiaries have also confident that the state government would not fail to bear the cost of 25 percent transportation charges in time while implementing this scheme. The poor should not be suffered from corruption or negligence of implementing agency. The concerned agency should be responsible in transporting, delivering all essential food grains to every public godowns (FPS) through a statewide network so that the targeted poor can purchase at a minimum price.
What objective we set and Act adopted is good but how effective it could implement is a challenges as the corruption and fraud had devastated the Public Distribution System to such an extend as it is run by a vicious cartel of bureaucrats, political parties, fair price shop owners and middlemen. Fair price shop owners are mostly political workers and most of the beneficiaries of BPL/AAY are relatives of leaders or headmen or those officials involved in it and bribery on the other hand as such loopholes and leakages have occurred in the PDS supply system. Fair price shop owners are imposed/demand taxes by different factions/groups/individuals, so the more demand, the more prices increased on the food items they are distributed. Because of several taxes and demands imposed on them, the fair price shop owners wants to sell food grains as soon as possible so they sell to persons (non-poor) who can buy whole sack. However, genuine poor families are unable to buy whole sack of rice at a time and they are embarrassed to approach for few kgs of grains. The supply of PDS has benefitted some non-poor than who are struggling to secure even one square meal a day.
The department and village authorities have to ensure whether the poor are excluded while targeting for entitle of assistance and whether the AAY, Annapurna, BPL card holders are genuine. Careful attention is to be made while identifying the beneficiaries ensuring that the families who desperately need help should not be excluded. We appreciate Nagaland voluntary Consumers’ Organization (NVCO) for carried an Intensive Awareness Campaign on National Food Security Act (NFSA) and who would be initiating “Citizen right Awareness Campaign” in the state. People are to be well highlighted of the Act and know their rights. It is hoped that their campaign would extent all over Nagaland so that the citizens are well informed. The department may also require introducing SMS based complaint filing or feedback so as the beneficiaries can send their grievances through a mobile phone.
The poor stricken families, due to low income spend all their incomes on food to sustain life and left other basic necessities. They neglect to education, health and sanitation. If this particular scheme provides food grains to targeted poor ensuring everyone has stable access to enough food of satisfactory quality sparing their income, they will realize to invest on education and other facilities as one require. A significant impact of the programme—elimination of poverty section depends on the timely delivery, reforms and transparent implementation, or else, crores of subsidies would land up in the pockets of some vested interest people.
Bausha Pauwung Buchem, Agri ward, Longleng.
