Food security is not charity
Food for work is amongst the relief measures adopted by the Union and state governments to address food distress in drought hit areas. But it has failed to ameliorate starvation. One look at the way it has been implemented tells us why. For one, a long bureaucratic process precedes declaring an area as drought-affected. Then comes identifying the relief works and the villages where they have to be undertaken; this is almost always contingent upon political diktats and the convenience of contractors. Consequently, starving people in remote areas rarely receive attention.
Moreover, once the works are sanctioned there is immense pressure on the bureaucracy to complete them as fast as possible. The focus of Food for Work projects consequently gets diverted towards addressing immediate official priorities. This leads to extensive use of labour-displacement machinery. And for those who find work, food comes in a huge deluge
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