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Patna,(BiharTimes): Notwithstanding strong criticism from various quarters and Right to Food campaigners Bihar has once again requested the Centre to provide cash instead of foodgrains to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.
State Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Shyam Rajak, said that the state government has written to the Union government to provide cash to ration card holders instead of foodgrains. |
The PDS system, it needs to be recalled, is in a shambles in Bihar.
According to reports from New Delhi the Union Food and Consumer Affairs ministry is ready with the Draft Bill that would soon be placed before an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food. The proposed Act will provide legal right over subsidized foodgrains to 68 per cent of the country's population.
According to the new law seven kilo of foodgrains per person per month would be provided to those falling under 'priority household' category and three kilo to a member of 'general household' category.
Rajak said that due to shortage of space in the FCI godowns in the state the arrival of foodgrains for public distribution gets delayed. He reiterated the state government plan to provide the cash in the name of women of the household.
However Rupesh, the Advisor to the Supreme Court appointed Commissioners, Harsh Mandar and N C Saxena, has strongly opposed the concept of distribution of cash in place of foodgrains as it would be grossly misused. He said all the schemes related to cash transfer, be it Old Age Pension or NREGA, has failed miserably. Besides, foodgrains prices do not remain stagnant.
Talking to BiharTimes he said that liquor shops and plants opened all over the state by the Nitish Kumar government would be the greatest beneficiaries of this scheme as all cash would pass on to them.
He sees a great corporate design in this scheme and said that even the Centre should avoid taking any such move.
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