According to reports in 2008-09, the total foodgrain allocation for the BPL consumers of Bihar by the Centre was one of the highest in the country at 27,38,000 tonnes. Of this 17,19,000 tonnes were meant for the people living below the poverty line and 10,19,000 tonnes were for the poorest of the poor, covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).

The state picked up only 7,38,000 tonnes of the 17,19,000 tonnes for the BPL consumers and for the AAY category it lifted just 7,72,000 tonnes. Not surprisingly, this is the poorest offtake record for AAY consumers among all the states.

In contrast to Bihar, Maharashtra, which got the second highest foodgrains allocation by the Centre for its poor, lifted 9,02,000 tonnes of grain for its AAY consumers out of 10,34,000 tonnes allocated. And of the total 27,44,000 tonnes allocated for the states poor, the government lifted 24,48,000 tonnes. UP, which enjoys the highest foodgrain allocation for its poor accessing the PDS (44,85,000 tonnes) lifted 40,65,000 tonnes.

Of an AAY allocation of 17,19,000 tonnes, the government lifted 16,08,000 tonnes. Orissa lifted every grain allocated (531.12 thousand tonnes) for its extremely poor Public Distribution System consumers. In all, of the 16,96,000 tonnes of grain from the Centre for its poor, the state lifted 16,91,000 tonnes.

Interestingly Nitish is has repeatedly been protesting against the Planning Commission’s BPL figure of 65 lakh families. He has ben claiming that bihar has about 1.50 crore BPL families. But the truth is that the state is not even picking up even those meant for 65 lakh families.

Comment

comments...

The report is revealing and it says lot about the performance of Nitish Government. I don't know why mainstream media is ignoring this issue. Is there total media gag/management in Bihar. Nitish Government should take lesson from the last NDA government at centre. Media management makes you feel better in a short term, but in a long term it does not help.
Manoj