RUCHI AHUJA

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 18: FOLLOWING the ‘‘alleged’’ starvation deaths at Kashipur in Orissa, the Central Government launched the Antyodaya Anna Yojana in the state on Friday in its bid to provide highly-subsidised foodgrains to about 5,50,000 poorest-of-the-poor families. But the relief measure fails to hold ground as a large part of the population in the region lacks the basic thing — purchasing power.

Interestingly, the identification of the Antyodaya families is still incomplete. According to sources in the Food Ministry, the figures have reached only 30 per cent — which comes to about 1,70,000 only. The yojana has been launched by Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shanta Kumar in Kashipur area of the Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi region.

Talking to The Indian Express, S.C. Brahma, Joint Secretary, Food Ministry, accepted that a segment of the population in the region lacks the much-needed purchasing power. ‘‘This is also the reason for the poor offtake in BPL category all over the country. And that is why we have asked the states to distribute the allocated foodgrains on a weekly basis,’’ he said.

The Centre has decided to make the allocation in favour of Orissa from this month in view of the ‘‘alleged’’ starvation deaths in the state. But as the state has identified only about 1,70,000 people in the poorest-of-the-poor category in the state, the issue of relief measures does not hold much water. Again, even if the Centre agrees to issue grains under this yojana, it is unlikely to be successful in places like Kashipur, where the population is so poor that it does not have the buying capacity even with the state government providing rice at a further subsidised rate of Rs 4.75/kg from the BPL rate of Rs 5.65/kg.

For Antyodaya yojana, a segment of the population below BPL category — that cannot afford buying foodgrains at BPL rates and is the poorest of the poor — has been identified. Around 5 per cent of the population — five crore people — is said to fall within this category.