FOOD SECURITY; THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEFORE

GOVERNMENT

(40 billion people face hunger; two third children are

undernourished)

OM PRAKASH YADAV

omjiyadav@gmail.com

omjiyadav.blogspot.com

A
mong many other challenges posed before the new UPA government,
providing food security to all undernourished and mal nourished
population is the most challenging and herculean one. Why is this
challenge so huge? Why can this problem not be deferred? These are the
questions whichwill meet answers in the report released by UNICEF only a
couple days ago.

The latest report of UNICEF on hunger in South Asia is shame on humanity

not because we have not been able to eradicate poverty and hunger from
this region; but due to glaring paradoxes in which prosperity, growth,
buoyancy in financial markets, increase in number of HNIs and other indices
of growth on the one hand and poverty, hunger, malnutrition and child
deaths exist side by side. It is disdainful and no civilised country can give
political and economic sophistry whatsoever to downplay or decouple it
from progress and development. How can a Nation move in which billions of
population is in thrall of abject poverty and abhorrable hunger?

The report says that hunger in South Asia has reached to highest level in 40
years due to global financial crisis (GFC) leading to rise in prices of fuel,
food and fodder. India did not fall incidentally in the trap of hunger and
poverty; but it has been under this labyrinth for many years despite
spectacular robust economic performance in almost all sectors of economy
including agriculture. It is ironical that in spite of bumper food grains
production in successive years, the food security situation has not improved
significantly. We had reports when people die for want of food in Kalahndi,
Malangir and Koraput areas (KMK) in state of Orissa despite food grains in
FCI go-downs and warehouses were decomposing and decaying. What a
travesty!

The report says the region would witness 100 million people going to bed
without food; worst among the countries are Nepal, Bangladesh, and
Pakistan. India is not an exception, the report laments.

Only a few months ago, a comprehensive report was prepared by M.S.

Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and World Food Programme
(WFP) on hunger and food security in India. This report has said that about

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 40 billion population i.e. 1/3rd of the population suffer from energy
deficiency due to mal or under nutrition in India. This report made startling
revelation that about 40% of the children below 5 years of age are under
nourished and about 27% of the world’s undernourished population live in
India which stands at 94th rank on Global Hunger Index in 2001.

Even according to the FAO, number of hungry people in India has increased
by 19 million between1991 to 2001. Nearly half the children are chronically
malnourished. According to NSSO about 1/3rd or 200 million rural Indian
populations spend only 12 rupees/ a day and consume only 12 kilograms of
cereals per month. Situation of Urban poor is also not better.

Under the above mentioned grim scenario, the proposed National Food
Security Act is a commendable initiative of government. This law would
hopefully realise dreams of Mahatma Gandhi to provide food to every
human, a goal that was inserted and enshrined in Constitution of India as
Right to life (Article-21) sixty years ago. The proposed legislation seeks to
provide access to sufficient food to the deprived section of society by
making provision therein to provide 25 Kilo Grams of wheat or rice per
month at a subsidised rate of Rs/-3 rupees/ Kg to the families living below
poverty line (BPL). This legislation is perhaps the first of its kind after
NREGA. After nearly huge success of NREGA, both in terms of providing
employments and public spending, hopes of successful execution of this
proposed legislation are also running high. According to reports and figures
of Ministry of RD, about 460 crore man days employment have been
created with Rs/-35,000 Crore expenditure under NREGS across the states in
India. It is a consolable figure even if sporadic instances of corruption and
pilferages are taken into account. Mechanism of social audit needs to be
strengthened and people’s participation into these schemes can further be
encouraged. This programme is all set to bring a social and economic
revolution in rural India; a concept which has gained appreciation in
countries like USA, UK and host of others.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT, A

HUGE SUCCESS- when NREGA was enacted, many Neocons were pessimist
about its implementation. But when it was implemented in February 2005 in as
many as 200 districts in Phase-I (one) across Nation, it started giving
encouraging results and some states did exceeding well. Within years of its
execution, rural population in some states socked desired level of benefits. The
benefits have started percolating down slowly but steadily. Nonetheless a lot
more is required to be done to make in more result oriented and successful.

• The payment mode of wage component in the scheme needs to be made

less complicated and time consuming. At the same time wage should be
hiked and should not be linked with minimum wages Act or any other such
law which regulate wage size.
• The assets which are sought to be created in due course of work done in
this scheme should be reoriented and reshaped. Many a times such types
of schemes are selected which are of little or no use at all. More expertise
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 are required to be involved at gram Panchayat level to select more useful
schemes which will both create employment and assets.
• Social audit of NREGS are required to be institutionalise and made effective.
The use of Right To Information Act (RTI), 2005 can be of immense use.
• The proposed National Food Security Act should be synergised with NREGS
so that a composite and comprehensive programme is evolved which in
turn help fight hunger and poverty.
• NREGS is a rural employment and job guarantee scheme and is confined to
rural areas only, but the hunger and unemployment in urban areas are also
grim and gloomy. It is therefore desirable on part of the government to
enact similar law for urban areas also. The National Food Security Act
should be made applicable in urban areas also. If this law is implemented
effectively can be a land mark in the economic, constitutional and social-
political history of India.
Hopefully the government would undertake this challenge in positive and
unflinching resolve and implement this law to eradicate the blot of hunger
and poverty for ever from this country once for all.The flagship schemes of
government of India have paid dividends in the period of crisis. It seems
that Keynesian theory has worked here; of course Indianised version of
Keynesian theory. Hopefully India would perhaps pioneer the world by
giving an alternate model of economy.
We are on the verge of staking a strong claim in the emerging new global
economic order. We are poised to become an economic power to reckon
with. Our robust economy and resilient social order are our strength. In
such situation, we cannot afford a situation where such a large population
is facing hunger and are not in the mainstream of social and economic
order. We have made spectacular success in fields like science and
technology, space, medical science, education and many such areas; that is
why there is no reason why we cannot eradicate this blot from our society.
We cannot continue with oasis and deserts side by side.