Chhattisgarh is considering enactment of legislation on Right to Food to bring all food related schemes, including the public distribution system (PDS), under its purview. Chief Minister Raman Singh, who is keen to get the Right to Food Act passed during the winter session of the Assembly, says that Chhattisgarh would be the first state in the country to enact such legislation aimed at checking irregularities and streamlining implementation of food related schemes. The proposed act would contain provisions to fix responsibility at every stage of implementation of the PDS system and other food related schemes such as mid-day meal programme. Penalty will be imposed on those responsible for any negligence to ensure that the fruits of the schemes percolate down to the real beneficiaries. The state government is implementing a massive food security scheme through which 37 lakh families living below the poverty line are being provided rice at highly subsidised prices. BPL families are being supplied 35 kg of rice at Rs 2 per kg every month while seven lakh antodaya families — poorest among the poor — are getting rice at Re 1 per kg.

Charandas Chor withdrawn from libraries

Renowned playwright Habib Tanveer’s work, Charandas Chor, has been withdrawn from school libraries after the Scheduled Caste Satnami community said it contained certain “objectionable” remarks about a ‘guru’ of the Satnami movement. The issue came to light during the book reading week observed from August 1 to 9 in all schools and colleges in the state. School Education Secretary Nandkumar issued an order not to include this famous drama during the book reading week and to withdraw it from the libraries. The Satnami community had first objected to certain remarks in the book way back in 2004. After the state passed the Library Act last year, the school education department purchased thousands of books for school libraries. Chrandas Chor was among the books purchased. Theatre artistes here are agitated over the government decision, arguing that the more than three decade-old play had been staged scores of times within and outside the state, without creating any controversy. They point out that the government order is ambiguous as it is not clear whether there’s a ban on its sale and staging of the drama.

... contd.