NHRC Suggests Public Distribution of Food for Drought-Hit Region

More than policies, the government should focus on implementation of already existing schemes: HL Dattu.

To ensure food for all the people in the drought affected regions in the country, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson HL Dattu has suggested the use of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

Dattu stressed on implementation of programmes for stocking and distribution more than formulation of new ones, while speaking at the Conference on Right to Food.

A government reports states that 254 districts in ten states were reeling under drought and a quarter of population was severely affected.

While the policy makers discuss the Right to Food and National Food Security Act, the country should also focus on the how-to of the implementation of distribution system, he said.

The ultimate goal of National Food Security Act, integrated with various social welfare schemes, should be that nobody should fall prey to begging for food.

HL Dattu

Society, he said, will have to play the watchdog if the public distribution system is implemented. Ensure that the programmes are implemented in right earnest instead of falling prey to the “allurements of pilferage,” he said.

The people themselves need to become watchdog of the welfare schemes instead of falling prey to the allurements of pilferage. They must stop thinking about the government as a separate entity from them.

HL Dattu

He said that the criticism of the government, particularly on food security front, cannot take away the responsibility on the part of the every citizen of the country.

Mentioning several programmes such as the ‘Antodaya Anna Yojna’ (AAY), TPDS and many others, Dattu said:

There is no dearth of policy and programmes. The question can be raised only about their effective implementation. It pains to know that 15 percent of food worth Rs 92 thousand crore per year is wasted during production, harvesting, transportation and storage, as per a study by Union Ministry of Food and Processing Industries.

Noting that there was improvement in food grain production, Dattu said that its stocking and distribution among the needy continues to remain a point of concern.

(With PTI inputs)