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FOOD SECURITY; THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEFORE

GOVERNMENT

(40 billion people face hunger; two third children areundernourished)

OM PRAKASH YADAV

omjiyadav@gmail.com

omjiyadav.blogspot.com

mong 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 thischallenge so huge? Why can this problem not be deferred? These are the

questions whichwill meet answers in the report released by UNICEF only a

couple days ago.AThe 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 improvedsignificantly. We had reports when people die for want of food in Kalahndi,

Malangir and Koraput areas (KMK) 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

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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 worlds 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 toprovide 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 andpilferages are taken into account. Mechanism of social audit needs to be

strengthened and peoples 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.

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.

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 typesof schemes are selected which are of little or no use at all. More expertise

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are required to be involved at gram Panchayat level to select more useful

schemes which will both create employment and assets.

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.

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.

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.

We are on the verge of staking a strong claim in the emerging new global

economic order. We are poised to become an economic power to reckon

with. Our robust economy and resilient social order are our strength. In

such situation, we cannot afford a situation where such a large population

is facing hunger and are not in the mainstream of social and economic

order. We have made spectacular success in fields like science and

technology, space, medical science, education and many such areas; that is

why there is no reason why we cannot eradicate this blot from our society.

We cannot continue with oasis and deserts side by side.

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