Hard to do an NREGA with food: Panel

Arguing that the proposed food security act will not be a cakewalk like the much-hyped NREGA,the Planning Commission today expressed the need for fixing responsibility in case of failure in implementing the law. It made out a case for involving the panchayats in the task as they are directly related to the intended beneficiaries. “I am not very sure that the proposed food security act can be more detailed than the NREGA. It would not be a cakewalk,as you need to fix accountability for it. What you can actually enforce is that at any location where some person lands,food is provided to him. One way of doing it is through the panchayats,” said commission member Abhijit Sen,who looks after the agriculture sector in the Plan panel.

The commission’s deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has already expressed concerns over the food security situation,saying the commission has already suggested enhancing production of food grains. He had said that the key issue was not to provide food grains at a subsidised rate,but was rather making sure the availability of staple food at an affordable price. President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint session of the Parliament too had mentioned that the government would consciously move forward to ensure food security for BPL families. It may be recalled that the Congress party in its election manifesto had also promised to provide 25 kg of rice or wheat a month to BPL families at Rs 3 a kg.

Sources say the coming Budget could see some kind of provisioning for providing food grains to about 7-10 crore BPL card-holding families before enacting any legislation for their food security. Sen suggested that there was a case for consolidation of food security schemes,like Antyodyaya,ICDS and the mid-day meal scheme.