Food Security Bill – Would it Wipe out Hunger and Malnutrition? Kirit S Parikh ********************************************************************************* The Food Security Bill (FSB) passed by Lok Sabha provides for 5 Kg per person per month of cereals – rice, wheat and coarse grains at RS 3.00, RS, 2.00 and RS 1.00 per kg respectively- to priority households and 35 kg per month to Antyodaya households. The persons covered may be as many as 75 percent of rural and 50 percent of urban population. A number of questions arise concerning Need Coverage Beneficiaries Effectiveness, impact on Hunger Malnutrition Food grains production, cost and financial implications Also, one wonders if this is the best way to reach the objectives. What was the need for the Food Security Bill (FSB)? Since we have the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which provides foodgrains, sugar and oil at highly subsidized prices to the poor what is the need for the FSB? The main problem with the TPDS is that it does not effectively reach the poor. The effectiveness of PDS in reaching the poor consumers was first examined by me (Parikh, 1993) based on household level NSS data for the year 1986-87.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 08:59:51 +0000
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