An Act to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto
| BACKGROUND : India: Per capita availability of Food | |
| foodgrain | ~185kg |
| edible oil | ~16kg |
| milk | 295 gm/day (higher than world avg.) |
| eggs | 55/year |
| Fruits | 172gm/day |
| Vegetables | 350gm/day |
| RATION CARD IS IN THE NAME OF ELDEST WOMAN OF HOUSEHOLD.
IF NOT AVAILABLE THEN ELDEST MAN
|
| Responsibility under Food security act | |
| UNION | STATE |
| allot foodgrains to states as per their requirement | identifying the eligible households |
| transport food grain to states | Deliver it to beneficiaries. |
| if stock insufficient, then give food allowance to states | if can’t deliver foodgrains to beneficiaries, pay them food allowance. (Union will decide the rates). |
- 67% of Indian population covered.
- State Governments have to identify the households in such manner that 75% rural + 50% urban population covered.
- States can use data from socio-economic and caste census (SECC).
| Prices and Entitlements in NFSA | |
| Household | They’ll get __ Foodgrain |
| Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)i.e. bottom strata of BPL population | 35 kg for entire family |
| Priority household | 5 kg per person |
| Who gets what & how much? | |
| Foodgrain | households will pay Rs. ___ per kg |
| Rice | 3 |
| Wheat | 2 |
| Coarse grains | 1 |
| Women preg/lactating*(6 months post birth) | · free meals @Anganwadi
· Rs.6000 in installments |
| child: 6 month upto 6 years | free meal @Anganwadi |
| child 6 years to 14 years | · free midday meal at school
· take-home rations |
| in case of non-availability of foodgrains | · Union will give Food security allowance to states
· states will give to beneficiaries |
Grievance Redressal Mechanism:
| State Food commission | · Supervise all entitlements
· evaluate implementation of this act · Power of civil court, punish + penalty up to Rs.5000 · 1 chairman+ 5 members + 1 secretary |
| District grievance Redressal officer | · First point for complaint under NFSA
· Further appeal to State food officer |
| + call centres and helplines |
Targeted PDS system reformed
- Grievance redressal mechanisms at district and state levels.
- TPDS stores license- first preference will be given to panchayats, SHGs and cooperatives.
- Doorstep delivery of food-grains to TPDS outlets.
- ICT tools to ensure transparency
- Introduction of schemes like, Aadhar cards, direct cash transfer, food coupons for targeted beneficiaries (recommended by Kaushik basu committee)
Limitation of NFSA:
- High fiscal burden- subsidy cost above 1.25 lakh crore rupees per year. (Budget 2014 allotted 1.15 lakh crores, out of that, 88000 crore specially for Food security act.)
- Government will have to keep large stock of foodgrains but FCI storage capacity insufficient.
- If so much food grains kept out of open market (and under FCI godowns)=> food inflation, middle class will suffer.
- Government may have to import foodgrain during drought years => additional current account deficit.(CAD)
- An Adult needs ~14kg foodgrain. While NFSA gives only 5 kg per person to Priority households- cruel joke and marketing gimmick.
- Focusing only cereal. What about pulses (to give protein), edible oil (to give fat), fruits, vegetables (for vitamin) and milk- to combat malnutrition?
- Malnutrition has its connections with lack of sanitation and medical facilities in rural areas. NFSA alone insufficient.
- Parliamentary standing Committee has recommended GPS tracking of trucks, CCTVs in go-downs to prevent diversion. But this are not implemented.
- identifying households eligible for this scheme = big challenge
- Section 44 of the act: During natural calamity and wars- Union and state govt. will not be responsible for non-supply of foods.
- Stopping “institutional” corruption in state PDS machinery.