Scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) introduced their technologies developed for rural development and public welfare to officials from the district administration and city corp

Decentralized Sourcing, Distribution Can Cut Costs: Thinktank

How much would it cost the central government to provide grain to the whole country at affordable prices? A calculation by the Delhi-based advocacy group Centre for Budget & Governance Accountability (CBGA) puts the figure at Rs 2,38,471 crore for one year. In the current financial year (2012-13), the Centre spent Rs 75,366 crore on the food subsidy, that is, about 0.74% of the gross domestic product.

Various farmers’ unions, environmentalists, social groups, scientific and health organisations as well as individual intellectuals came together on Friday to oppose the decision of the Punjab Government which recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the multi-national company Monsanto to what was projected as promoting crop diversification.

In a joint statement these organisations claimed that the company had no expertise in diversification. On the contrary, it was averse to any diversification and had a history of monopolistic as well as exploitative practices that favoured monocultures.

Emphasising that the money involved in giving food subsidy should be treated as high priority, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday said the subsidy should not be linked with fiscal deficit.

“The money involved in food subsidy can be treated as high priority and should not be linked with fiscal deficit. The food subsidy bill can be met. I see no merit in subsidising diesel. We can't subsidise petrol and fertilizers and these are the subsidies that we need to get rid of,” Ahluwalia said at a panel discussion at IIT, Delhi.

The agriculture ministry is seeking more budgetary support to increase farm sector growth rate to 4% per annum from 3.5% at present.

“The allocation this year would be more as the country needs to produce more to provide food security to the nation,” an agriculture ministry official said. “The scheme ‘Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India’ has done well with increased funds of . 1,000 crore. We expect more allocation.” In the last budget, the total plan outlay for agriculture and cooperation was increased by 18% from . 17,123 crore in 2011-12 to . 20,208 crore.

The Nobel laureate says neglecting children is not only unjust but also an economic blunder

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said the National Food Security Bill needs to be strengthened to include children’s entitlements. According to him, the Bill, in the current form, neglects children. He pointed out that there are powerful lobbies for diesel and LPG subsidies, and even for exemptions of custom duties on gold imports. However, nobody is lobbying for children’s rights. Neglecting children is not only unjust but also an economic blunder, he said.

Current grains allocation, AAY entitlement will be protected under the Bill, he assures States

Responding to concerns expressed by several States on a possible cut in food grains allocation under the National Food Security Bill, the Centre on Thursday gave an assurance that the current allocation will be protected and so will the Antyodaya Anna Yojna (AAY) entitlement for the poorest of the poor. The Bill, Minister of State for Food K.V. Thomas said, would be reworked to make it “practical” and “acceptable.” It was proposed to be presented in the budget session of Parliament.

State governments are raising objections about the coverage under the proposed Food Security Bill, saying that covering 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of urban as advocated by both the draft Bill and the Standing Committee of Parliament is unacceptable.

“The Centre is saying that the proposed food Bill will ensure food for all. But in reality, this is not the case,” West Bengal Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick said. He said the Centre should instead cover all sections of the population under the Bill and there should not be any provision for cash transfers under the Bill.

Differences came to the fore ahead of the government giving a final shape to the National Food Security Bill, as a number of states opposed key provisions of the legislative proposal. The state governments made their differences clear broadly on two issues — quantity of foodgrains and number of beneficiaries.

Consistent with its stand the Tamil Nadu government made it clear during a meeting of the food ministers of states in the national capital that the state would like to be exempted from the ambit of the Food Bill. Tamil Nadu maintains that the state has a better scheme, which is universal unlike the Food Bill, which would compulsory exclude 33 per cent of the population from its ambit.

While the UPA government is seeking to push its ambitious food guarantee law in the forthcoming Budget Session of Parliament, many state governments on Wednesday objected to several provisions in the proposed Bill with Tamil Nadu seeking an outright exemption citing lack of clarity in the Bill.

A meeting of state food ministers was convened on Wednesday by the Centre to discuss the National Food Security Bill. Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, in fact, wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighting his reservation on issues related to quantum of foodgrain being guaranteed and ceiling on beneficiaries being imposed on states among other issues.