INAUGURAL SPEECH AS THE CHIEF GUEST AT THE 2-DAY “LAUNCH OF OXFAM – IDS, SUSSEX UNIVERSITY BULLETIN ON FOOD JUSTICE IN INDIA” ON 18TH JULY, 2012 AT 10 A.M. AT DEPUTY SPEAKER HALL, CONSTITUTION CLUB, NEW DELHI – ORGANISED BY THE OXFAM INDIA, THE INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AND THE CENTRE FOR LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY:
Ms. Nisha Agarwal, Executive Director, Oxfam India, Prof. Lawrence Haddad, Director, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex. Mr. Vinod Bhanu, Executive Director, Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy, government representatives, specialists and academics, civil society members, friends from the media, and ladies and gentlemen:
It gives me great pleasure to be amongst you, the distinguished audience, at the launch of the Oxfam-Institute of Development Studies Bulletin on Food Justice in India. I congratulate the Oxfam and the IDS on bringing out such a valuable bulletin, a unique collection of original thoughts by leading commentators and practitioners on crucial subject of food security and connected issues like the right to food and the need for a just food system in India. I have no doubt that such a compilation on such an important subject matter as food security will definitely help us understand the issue, as viewed from different angles and perspectives.
Ensuring food security, i.e., availability of sufficient food-grains to meet the demand as well as access, at the individual level, to adequate quantities of food at affordable prices, has been a focus of planning and policy of Government of India. The technological breakthrough achieved through Green Revolution in the sixties helped the country attain self-sufficiency in food-grains production. You will be happy to know that now our focus is on eastern region of the country where there is good potential to harness ample natural resources to achieve food security and agricultural sustainability. This is being done under the programme of “Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI)” started since 2010-11 as a part of on-going Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
The Government is also conscious of the immense contribution of the farming community in India to our successful efforts in the field of agriculture. The price support operation of the Government, aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to farmers for their produce and incentivizing them to produce more, has also played an important role in increase in farm produce. The Minimum Support Prices are fixed to ensure that they not only cover the costs of production but also ensure a reasonable return to farmers, thereby acting as a cushion to farmers against any sudden drop in market prices in a situation of excess supply.
To ensure food security at the individual or household level, the Government of India implements various schemes/programmes in partnership with State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. I would like to briefly touch upon these policy initiatives. The Government is implementing the Targeted Public Distribution system (TPDS) under which food-grains at subsidized rates are provided to Below Poverty Line [including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)] and Above Poverty Line Households through a network of more than 5 lakh fair price shops spread across the country. Currently, allocations of subsidized food-grains is being made for about 6.5 crore BPL households, which includes 2.5 crore AAY households, and 11.5 crore APL households. Besides, Government is also implementing schemes to specifically address the concerns related to malnutrition, especially among women and children, through schemes like Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meal, Annapoorna, etc.
In order to further strengthen the commitment of the Government towards food security in the country, the President of India in her address to the Joint Session of Parliament on 4th June, 2009, inter alia, announced that the Government proposed to enact a new law – the National Food Security Act – that would provide a statutory basis for a framework which assured food security for all. Pursuant to the announcement, the Government held extensive and wide-ranging consultations with various stakeholders, including State Governments and UT Administrations, Central Ministries, experts and other individuals and organizations at different stages of preparation of the Bill. A draft of the Bill was also placed on the website of the Ministry in September, 2011 to seek comments/suggestions. Valuable inputs on the proposed law were also received from the National Advisory Council, besides recommendations of an Expert Committee under Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Taking into account the comments/suggestions received, “The National Food Security Bill,” the historic legislation, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 22nd December, 2011.
I am very happy to inform you that the proposed legislation marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security – from it being viewed as a welfare approach to a right-based approach. The Act seeks to address the issue of food security in the country in a holistic manner by adopting a life cycle approach. The Act provides for about two thirds of the population to become entitled to receive subsidized food-grains under Targeted Public Distribution System, with special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women and lactating mothers, besides being entitled to meal, free of charge, as per the prescribed nutritional norms, will also receive maternity benefit @ Rs. 1000/- per month for six months. In case of non-supply of food-grains or meals, beneficiaries will be entitled to receive food security allowance. Elaborate provisions for grievance redressal mechanism have also been made in the Bill besides other provisions for ensuring transparency and accountability such as disclosure of records of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), social audit and vigilance committees at various levels.
I also would like to share with you some of the major highlights of the Food Security Bill:
• Up to 75% of the rural population (with at least 46% from priority category) and up to 50% of urban population (with at least 28% from priority category) are to be covered under Targeted Public Distribution System.
• 7 kg of food-grains per person per month to be given to priority category households which include rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs. 3, 2, and 1 per kg, respectively.
• At least 3 kg of food-grains per person per month to be given to general category households, at prices not exceeding 50% of Minimum Support Price.
• Women to be made head of the household for the purpose of issue of ration cards.
• Maternity benefit to pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• End-to-end computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution System.
• Three-tier independent grievance redressal mechanism.
• Social audit by local bodies such as Gram Panchayats, Village Councils etc.
• Meals for special groups such as destitute, homeless persons, emergency/disaster affected persons and persons on the verge of starvation.
• Food Security Allowance in case of non-supply of food-grains or meals.
The Bill is at present under consideration of the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. The Parliamentary Committee has so far held two meetings. We are awaiting the outcome of deliberations by the Standing Committee so that we could take further action to take the Bill forward. It is definitely going to be a challenging task to ensure successful implementation of the Bill of such scope and magnitude. I hope that all the stakeholders would contribute to make this historic initiative of the Government a success. I welcome suggestions for improvement of food security situation in the country. I assure you that Government is committed to ensure food and nutrition security of the people of the country, especially the vulnerable sections.
I am sure that all aspects of food security in India that got covered in the Oxfam-IDS Bulletin will be thoroughly discussed in detail in the two-day event by the experts and distinguished persons who have assembled here. I expect that your deliberations here will result in emergence of suggestions and recommendations being suitable to needs and requirements of food security in the country.
I once again commend the effort of Oxfam India, IDS and CLRA on this important topic, and, while conveying my deep appreciation for the same, convey my best wishes to all of you for the success of this two-day event.
Thank You.
Ms. Nisha Agarwal, Executive Director, Oxfam India, Prof. Lawrence Haddad, Director, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex. Mr. Vinod Bhanu, Executive Director, Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy, government representatives, specialists and academics, civil society members, friends from the media, and ladies and gentlemen:
It gives me great pleasure to be amongst you, the distinguished audience, at the launch of the Oxfam-Institute of Development Studies Bulletin on Food Justice in India. I congratulate the Oxfam and the IDS on bringing out such a valuable bulletin, a unique collection of original thoughts by leading commentators and practitioners on crucial subject of food security and connected issues like the right to food and the need for a just food system in India. I have no doubt that such a compilation on such an important subject matter as food security will definitely help us understand the issue, as viewed from different angles and perspectives.
Ensuring food security, i.e., availability of sufficient food-grains to meet the demand as well as access, at the individual level, to adequate quantities of food at affordable prices, has been a focus of planning and policy of Government of India. The technological breakthrough achieved through Green Revolution in the sixties helped the country attain self-sufficiency in food-grains production. You will be happy to know that now our focus is on eastern region of the country where there is good potential to harness ample natural resources to achieve food security and agricultural sustainability. This is being done under the programme of “Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI)” started since 2010-11 as a part of on-going Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
The Government is also conscious of the immense contribution of the farming community in India to our successful efforts in the field of agriculture. The price support operation of the Government, aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to farmers for their produce and incentivizing them to produce more, has also played an important role in increase in farm produce. The Minimum Support Prices are fixed to ensure that they not only cover the costs of production but also ensure a reasonable return to farmers, thereby acting as a cushion to farmers against any sudden drop in market prices in a situation of excess supply.
To ensure food security at the individual or household level, the Government of India implements various schemes/programmes in partnership with State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. I would like to briefly touch upon these policy initiatives. The Government is implementing the Targeted Public Distribution system (TPDS) under which food-grains at subsidized rates are provided to Below Poverty Line [including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)] and Above Poverty Line Households through a network of more than 5 lakh fair price shops spread across the country. Currently, allocations of subsidized food-grains is being made for about 6.5 crore BPL households, which includes 2.5 crore AAY households, and 11.5 crore APL households. Besides, Government is also implementing schemes to specifically address the concerns related to malnutrition, especially among women and children, through schemes like Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meal, Annapoorna, etc.
In order to further strengthen the commitment of the Government towards food security in the country, the President of India in her address to the Joint Session of Parliament on 4th June, 2009, inter alia, announced that the Government proposed to enact a new law – the National Food Security Act – that would provide a statutory basis for a framework which assured food security for all. Pursuant to the announcement, the Government held extensive and wide-ranging consultations with various stakeholders, including State Governments and UT Administrations, Central Ministries, experts and other individuals and organizations at different stages of preparation of the Bill. A draft of the Bill was also placed on the website of the Ministry in September, 2011 to seek comments/suggestions. Valuable inputs on the proposed law were also received from the National Advisory Council, besides recommendations of an Expert Committee under Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Taking into account the comments/suggestions received, “The National Food Security Bill,” the historic legislation, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 22nd December, 2011.
I am very happy to inform you that the proposed legislation marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security – from it being viewed as a welfare approach to a right-based approach. The Act seeks to address the issue of food security in the country in a holistic manner by adopting a life cycle approach. The Act provides for about two thirds of the population to become entitled to receive subsidized food-grains under Targeted Public Distribution System, with special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women and lactating mothers, besides being entitled to meal, free of charge, as per the prescribed nutritional norms, will also receive maternity benefit @ Rs. 1000/- per month for six months. In case of non-supply of food-grains or meals, beneficiaries will be entitled to receive food security allowance. Elaborate provisions for grievance redressal mechanism have also been made in the Bill besides other provisions for ensuring transparency and accountability such as disclosure of records of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), social audit and vigilance committees at various levels.
I also would like to share with you some of the major highlights of the Food Security Bill:
• Up to 75% of the rural population (with at least 46% from priority category) and up to 50% of urban population (with at least 28% from priority category) are to be covered under Targeted Public Distribution System.
• 7 kg of food-grains per person per month to be given to priority category households which include rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs. 3, 2, and 1 per kg, respectively.
• At least 3 kg of food-grains per person per month to be given to general category households, at prices not exceeding 50% of Minimum Support Price.
• Women to be made head of the household for the purpose of issue of ration cards.
• Maternity benefit to pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• End-to-end computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution System.
• Three-tier independent grievance redressal mechanism.
• Social audit by local bodies such as Gram Panchayats, Village Councils etc.
• Meals for special groups such as destitute, homeless persons, emergency/disaster affected persons and persons on the verge of starvation.
• Food Security Allowance in case of non-supply of food-grains or meals.
The Bill is at present under consideration of the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. The Parliamentary Committee has so far held two meetings. We are awaiting the outcome of deliberations by the Standing Committee so that we could take further action to take the Bill forward. It is definitely going to be a challenging task to ensure successful implementation of the Bill of such scope and magnitude. I hope that all the stakeholders would contribute to make this historic initiative of the Government a success. I welcome suggestions for improvement of food security situation in the country. I assure you that Government is committed to ensure food and nutrition security of the people of the country, especially the vulnerable sections.
I am sure that all aspects of food security in India that got covered in the Oxfam-IDS Bulletin will be thoroughly discussed in detail in the two-day event by the experts and distinguished persons who have assembled here. I expect that your deliberations here will result in emergence of suggestions and recommendations being suitable to needs and requirements of food security in the country.
I once again commend the effort of Oxfam India, IDS and CLRA on this important topic, and, while conveying my deep appreciation for the same, convey my best wishes to all of you for the success of this two-day event.
Thank You.
