{A.B.Kaashi/Pradeep**}
Food,clothing and shelter are the basic essentials for human beings to survive. Food tops the list of priorities. Chhattisgarh is the first state to give Right-to-Food to its people and make it into a law. Food and Nutrition Security Act was implemented in 2013. About 90 % of the masses are covered under the Act. Apart from this ,Chhattisgarh is a model state in public distribution system,which is transparent and rations are provided on schedule. The Supreme Court also lauded the Chhattisgarh PDS model and ordered other states to implement it.
Chhattisgarh is the first state to provide Food and Nutrition Security to its citizens.The Bill was passed in Vidhan Sabha in December 2012 to give its citizens the Right To Food Act. Under Section 15 of the Act the families were categorised under Antyodaya and priority-wise groups , so that gram panchayats and other local bodies can issue ration cards in a phased manner. Under Antyodaya scheme most backward Tribes-Baiga, Birhor, PahadiKorva, Kamar, Abhujmadias, families headed by single female, and serious ,incurable patients-AIDS, Sickle cell anaemia, cancer, TB afflicted, families with old ,dependent, and those families whose head is freed from bonded labour-are included under Antyodaya scheme.
Landless labour families ,small farmers upto five acres of land, unorganised labour like-barbers, shoe-makers, carpenters, washermen, rickshaw-pullers families, building construction labour -coolies and other menial workers, are included in the Priority list. About 90 % of the citizens are provided with food and nutrition security. It is interesting to note that Central Government also passed National Food Security Act 2013, which was implemented in January 2014. As per the Centre, 78.43 per cent ( 2 cr) population is covered under the subsidised food scheme, but under Chhattisgarh Food Security Act 91 % ( 2 crore 32 lakh) population are getting benefits.
Chhattisgarh Public Distribution System under Antyodaya and Priority families schemes provides 35 kg foodgrains at Re 1 per kilo. Since June 2014 single member category ration card-holders under destitutes segment are provided 10 kg foodgrains free of cost. The state government keeping in view nutrition security is providing -grams, pulses, sugar and Iodised salt. Antyodaya and Priority families get two kg salt free of cost, two kg grams at Rs 5 per kilo in Notified areas. In non-Notified areas two kg pulses at the rate of Rs 10 and one kg sugar at Rs 13 are distributed. Under the Food and Nutrition Security Act, hostels, ashrams, anganwadis, are provided with subsidised foodgrains. About Rs 3844 crore 32 lakh is allocated in fiscal 2014-15 for the scheme.
Chhattisgarh Public Distribution System is a role model for the entire nation.The Supreme Court has given orders on 14 September 2011 to other states to emulate the scheme. The transparency, location of fair price shops,details of distribution of ration through SMS, Rice Utsav in some ration shops every month, free call centres for consumers , were much appreciated at the national-level. The Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Mr Ram Vilas Paswan and Odisha, Karnataka, Manipur and other states have made a detailed study of the PDS. About 11,077 fair price shops are in operation under the Public Distribution System in the state .The gram panchayats, co-operative samitis and women’s groups are operating the fair price shops. About 2 lakh 60 thousand ton foodgrains and 15 thousand kilolitre kerosene oil are being distributed under the PDS. The state is spending Rs 4,640 crore per year on the scheme. ‘Meri Marji’ scheme was started in March 2012 in which consumers can buy rations from the shops of their choice under the Core PDS system. It is in operation in eight cities-Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund,Raigarh, Ambikapur, Korba and Chirimiri-in 565 fair price shops . About Rs 1 cr 75 lakh is allocated in current fiscal 2014-15 to implement Core PDS in 290 fair price shops. The ration shop owners are answerable to the consumers under the scheme.
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*Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INVC.
