Food security in Maharashtra State to 7.17 crore people is “Eyewash”-VJAS

Food security in Maharashtra State to  7.17 crore people is “Eyewash”-VJAS

Nagpur-28^th August 2013

Highly ill-managed and ration shops cartel base corrupt PDS system which is working without PDS accountable officers and controlled and run by  civil administration failed to give food to 4 million families  will give food to 20 million  families ,creates doubts  in mind of activist when they have very better experience of food control order 2001 in Maharashtra.

The Pathetic and  dying condition of  Maharashtra Civil Supply Ministry which has only 300 full time staff and which is on ventilator when recently after supreme court order nearly 5 million ration card out of total 12 million ration cards are found bogus and cancelled ,  more than 70% poor pollution in state are not under existing PDS even the announcement of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to implement the ambitious food security scheme of the Central government from December covering  7.17 crore people across the state and requires Rs 15,000 crore  is nothing but eyewash and existing ill managed and highly corrupt PDS network will hardly make is reality  and  will another election promise and day light dream according to Kishor Tiwari ,Activist fighting for right to  food  and universal since 1997 having moved High Court and MHRC but failed to get relief even apex court order  and state failure to implement food control order 2001 till 2013 .

“At present in Maharashtra  targeted PDS scheme is based on the BPL families survey done 1997 and in 2013 same survey has found 50% families are listed under that list  are bogus and presently Targeted PDS cover 2 million families in antyodaya and around 2.2 milion families under BPL now the new food security bill will cover 7.20 crore people means around 2 crore families which is ten time than existing one will to be covered hence massive expansion of ration shops ,food storage capacity ,transportation set up is needed   but existing handful staff coupled with hostile and corrupt PDS network  will turn ‘Universal Food Security’ in to another eyewash, Kishore Tiwari added.

‘The ground reality in tribal belt of PDS is too hostile ,as majority poor are not covered under BPL moreover there are reports of massive scam of grain for poor sold in open market ,more agony is that district administration has failed lift sanction ffod grain quota of Antyodaya-BPL families  from FCI more over for carrying out survey of poor there is no accountable official machinery in existence hence identifying 7.17 crore poor that too 4.7 crore are from rural areas (76.32 per cent) and 2.3 crore from urban areas (45.34 per cent) is impossible task hence we demand all local bodies help  to have speedy reliable survey food security scheme and avoid delay. As on today Maharashtra around 5 million BPL families identified by administration are denied food security making just mockery of Nation food security mission, high court and apex court orders following the recommendations of Justice Wadhva committee hence we are hopeful the proposed food security bill should  be eyewash ,Tiwari warned.