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TITLE: A Public Hearing on Hunger, Food Rights & Food Security in India |
AUTHOR: |
ORG: Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology |
DATE: April 30, 2001 |
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"Anna Panchayat" A Public Hearing on Hunger, Food Rights & Food Security May 30th & 31st 2001, Auditorium, Rajendra Prasad Bhavan, New Delhi Millions of Indians are going hungry while tonnes of food grains are rotting in godowns. How has the food security of a nation of one billion been dismantled so fast and so efficiently? As a result of the World Trade Organisation rules and economic reform policies, the food security system of the country is being rapidly undermined - at the level of production and distribution, the most recent expression of which is the budget of 2001-02. At the level of production, trade liberalisation has led to withdrawal of subsidies, intensification of inputs, declining farm prices, rising debts, and an epidemic of farm suicides. Farm prices have collapsed significantly. At the level of distribution, trade liberalisation has led to dismantling of government procurement by FCI and withdrawal of minimum support prices to farmers. At the same time, the PDS system is being dismantled, leading to rising food prices and declining off-take. This is further contributing to the crisis of procurement. The procurement crisis is being used to hand over the food supply to private corporates because of lack of adequate storage facilities. The piling stocks at the Food Corporation of India are the main justification for allowing private traders in procurement, storage and distribution of foodgrains as announced in the recent budget. Between 1990-99 the cost of procuring and distribution a quintal of wheat and rice rose ten percent each year. The FCI has been referred as a leviathan which must be dismantled. Private corporations are brought in to handle storage and distribution of foodgrains. Hi-tech silos have been proposed to stock foodgrains. The wheat silos are set up in wheat procuring areas - Nabha, Barnala, Moga, Kaithal and Sirsa. The silos at distribution and export areas are constructed at Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore and Hooghly. There are mounting food surpluses with large numbers lacking access to it. There has been significant decline in the off take of foodgrains. The surpluses are built not because of over-production but because of less consumption. People are buying less because the food is costlier. While the government is cutting back food subsidies it is losing to private traders by selling at half the price to that of a common man. Food grains meant for PDS distribution are diverted to hotels, hospitals and canteens. The report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India informs that twelve states had misappropriated around Rs 84.37 crore worth of foodgrains meant for PDS towards open market. The targeted PDS system was meant to target the "really poor". As per the official estimates (based on a 1993-94 survey), predict the number of BPL population around 15 crore people. Contradicting to these estimates the Planning Commission's own estimate shows 32 crores people below poverty line; the breakdown of BPLers in different states as estimated by Planning Commission stands at around 22% Andhra Pradesh, 24% in Gujarat, 55% in Bihar, 33% in Karnataka, 27% in Rajasthan and 37% in Maharastra. Around five lakh families have been identified in Delhi as beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System. Yet no red cards have been issued. The crisis of food distribution is a threat to people's food security. The inefficiencies and waste of PDS system and FCI do need to be removed. But replacing a centralised, capital intensive food distribution system controlled by the central government with an even more centralised and capital intensive food distribution system controlled by the corporations is not the answer to people's food security. If we have to defend our food rights we need to stop violations of peoples food rights. Together we must shape our food distribution systems, defend our food sovereignty and food security. The Anna Panchayat is one such endeavour to search for alternatives. At the hearing the issues to be discussed will include: Crisis of Procurement and Public Distribution Collapse of Farm Prices and Rising Food Prices The implications of the removal of Quantitative Restrictions The implications of 2001-2002 budget and EXIM Policy The Government of India's position in the Review of the W.T.O. Agreement on Agriculture Proposals for decentralised food distribution systems and the role and potential of State Governments Strategies for building Food Democracy and Food Sovereignty Join The Campaign Against Hunger Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology A-60 Hauz Khas New Delhi - 110 016 India END |