VJAS welcome Wadhwa Committee recommendations for universal food security under PDS

VJAS welcome Wadhwa Committee recommendations for universal food security under PDS
NAGPUR -16Jan.2013

Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) activist group fighting for right to get under PDS has welcome recommendation of Justice D P Wadhwa Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court to study PDS   abolishing APL category for PDS and giving food security to all  along with the recommendations of formation of Civil Supply Corporation in every state and UT apart from computerization   of PDS operations and removing the income  cap on BPL category and updating BPL list every year and urged Indian Govt. to implements these recommemdatios without delay in letter to union civil supplies minister.

As per media report that the report submitted to the Supreme Court of India on January 7,2013 Central Vigilance Committee headed by Justice (retd) D P Wadhwa has recommended abolition of APL category.The committee was appointed to look into PDS related issues and submit a report. Accordingly, the committee has submitted its report in which it has recommended abolition of APL category. There are the report states like Maharashtra are not updating BPL card holders list and as on today BPL survey list of 2002 is being considered for giving food under BPL category hence Justice Wadhwa Committee has also given one more important recommendation is removing cap on number of BPL families. “Lists of BPL and AAY families should be reviewed every year for the purpose of deletion and inclusion of families,” Hence this recommendations of updating list every year should be implemented without delay, Tiwari urged

VJAS WELCOME 'DAL NHAT KENRA' AND 'FREE FOOD COUPONS'

The committee under Justice (retd) D P Wadhwa has proposed a scheme for providing cooked food to the poorer segments of the society ‘at nominal cost of free’ in backward districts of the country. For the purpose, help of corporates/PSUs working in these areas should be taken under Corporate Social Responsibility programme. The scheme titled ‘Dal Bhat Kendra’, envisages that community kitchens should be run in selected urban and rural areas at District Headquarters like the Collectorate, city hospitals, bus stops, or cooked food should be provided through vans in pockets inhabited by poor and vulnerable people. The respective district administration should be enstrusted with responsibility of creating necessary infrastructure for these kitchens, and the

Government should provide foodgrains at highly subsidised rates. 
Free Food Coupons -The report also suggests that free food coupons should be kept with each Gram Panchayat in all poorest and backward districts to meet any emergency situation and offer food to persons who do not fall under Annapurna Anna Yojana and are living in state of penury, and are unable to obtain foodgrains by their own means. In emergency, Gram Panchayat/Tehsildar/Sub Divisional Magistrate may issue these coupons to affected persons entitling them to receive 10 kg foodgrains per coupon per month free-of-cost. At the end of the month, coupons distributed will be replenished and fair price shop dealer shall be provided food for the same, VJAS has termed these recommendations as move to food security dying community of India.