THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BILL, 2013 – PROS & CONS

Last year in December 2011, National Food Security Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha for the first time for the elimination of hunger and malnutrition in India and with an aim ―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 matter connected therewith or incidental thereto.‖ After submission of report by Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, the Union Cabinet passed the bill by an ordinance on July 4, 2013 and covered a way to make the broader framework of the proposed legislation simpler by providing more flexibility to States in its implementation and to address the vital concerns relating to food security.

 

Major Provisions of the bill are as follows:

 

1. The Bill has made provision for the State Government to provide 5 kilograms of food grains per person per month at subsidized prices to ―Households identified by the State Government‖ (i.e. Priority Household) under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

 

2. ―Antyodaya Anna Yojana‖ which was launched by the Government of India on December 25, 2000 specifically targets 5% population (which sleeps without two square meals a day as per National Sample Survey) and provides subsidized foodgrains to them. In the current Food Security bill, such 5% household will be provided with 35 kgs of foodgrains per month as allotted by the Central Government to the respective States.

 

3. Free meal will be provided to mother during pregnancy and upto 6 months of child birth, by the local anganwadis along with monetary maternity benefit shall be provided for at least Rs 6000.

 

4. Free meal will be provided to children between the age group of 6 months to 6 years as well as children suffering from malnutrition by the local anganwadis. Children between 6 to 14 years will be provided with one free mid day meal in school except on holidays to meet the nutritional need of the children.

 

5. The Bill has also made provision for providing food security allowance to the persons who have not received any of the benefits in accordance to the above mentioned schemes.

 

6. Corresponding to the coverage of 75% of rural and 50% of urban population (Eligible Household) at all India level, State wise coverage will be determined by the Planning Commission.

 

7. The Bill has included provision for doorstep delivery of foodgrains, application of information and communication technology (ICT) including end to end computerization, leveraging "Aadhaar" for unique identification of beneficiaries, diversification of commodities under TPDS and full transparency of records for effective implementation of the Food Security Act.

 

8. Head of the household will be eldest woman of eighteen years of age or above, for issue of ration card, and if such woman is not available, the eldest male member is to be considered as head of household for issue of ration card.

 

9. The Bill has made provision for redressal mechanism which will be implemented at the state as well as at the district level, including provisions for establishing call centre and helpline with designated nodal officers. State Food Commission will also be established in order to monitor and review implementation of this act.

 

10. Uniform prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains will be applicable to all eligible beneficiaries.

 

11. The Bill provides for penalty to be imposed on public servants or authority, if found guilty of failing to comply with the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer.

 

Shortcomings of the National Food Security Bill: The Bill relies on a complicated three-way division of the population between ―priority, "general" and excluded households. This division is problematic for several reasons. First, there is no clarity as to how these different groups are to be identified, and have serious doubts about the possibility of devising a practical, fair and effective method of doing it. Second, with PDS benefits largely restricted to priority households, this approach would have many of the weaknesses of "BPL targeting", which has proved so unreliable and divisive in the past. Third, this rigid framework, based on selection criteria and other parameters prescribed by the Central Government, would undermine the positive trend towards a more inclusive PDS in many states. Last but not least, this framework is confusing — simplicity and transparency are essential for the success of this historic legislation¹.

The National Food Security Bill was designed to eliminate huger to the rural & urban poor will hurt farmers by reducing the market prices of food crops by increasing the supply of subsidized grain. Hence, the bill may prove to be disadvantageous to the very wide population it was designed to benefit. Also timing of the bill is not appropriate in light of the country's threatening fiscal deficit and sluggish economic growth. This food security programme will require 70-80 million tonnes of more food grain every year than India stores in its godowns, such shortfall will have to be met from imports. There should be sufficient funding to implement this scheme; however the government has not as yet explained how it plans to finance this legislation which requires almost 950 billion rupees per year. In my opinion, this programme will thoroughly affect on India's economic growth prospects and it will encourage inflation of the nation in the long run. Introduction of the Bill through the route of ordinance seems to be an unjustified political move that provides nominal policy benefit.

 India's major population is predominantly based on the agriculture sector and it provides a significant source of livelihood for rural billion-plus population. It has major contribution to the nation Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Share of agriculture in the GDP has dropped by nearly 5 per cent in the last eight (8) years to 14 per cent, due to higher growth in other sectors. The National Food Security Bill will be a great discouragement to the farmers of India. In the present scenario, the country needs policies that permit farmers to have optimum profit and grow independently, instead of enforcing them to further depend on the state. The government could do better to provide market incentives, not charitable offerings.

 

¹. Courtesy – "The Hindu".