Raipur, September 08, 2010
Chief Minister Raman Singh has demanded from the Centre to distribute 35 kg rice to the poor every month at low rate across the country. “In Chhattisgarh, we are providing 35 kg foodgrains to all BPL and Antyodaya families. It will be proper to keep the entitlement at 35 kg and not 25 kg per month, as proposed in the concept paper of Food Security Bill circulated by the Government of India,” said Singh during the meeting of the Working Group on Food & Public Distribution organised by Planning Commission’s Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at New Delhi on Wednesday.
Singh suggested that the APL cardholders must also get 35 kg rice per month by slightly increasing the rate as compared to rate fixed for BPL cardholders.
He said, “Fair price shops (FPS) should be taken away from the hold of private persons. FPS should be run either by the Gram Panchayats, Cooperative Societies, Women-Self-Help Groups or Forest Protection Committees, as has been done in Chhattisgarh.”
Singh further said, “I also propose that pulses should be added as PDS item in scheduled (Tribal sub-plan) areas of the country to fight malnutrition. Two kg of pulse should be provided to the BPL beneficiaries every month for which at least Rs. 25 per kg subsidy should be provided by the Government of India.”
He also suggested that a toll free call centre or help line should be established for grievance redressal so that complaints regarding PDS could not only be registered but the status of their disposal would also available on the web.
“Smart Card should be issued to each of the ration card holders, but they should be UID-compliant. Since the expenditure involved is high, the Union government should finance this. Chhattisgarh is well poised for this and the Centre should take Chhattisgarh as a pilot state for this scheme,” he added.
CM to Centre: Adopt Ch’garh PDS format across India
Chief Minister Raman Singh has demanded from the Centre to distribute 35 kg rice to the poor every month at low rate across the country. “In Chhattisgarh, we are providing 35 kg foodgrains to all BPL and Antyodaya families. It will be proper to keep the entitlement at 35 kg and not 25 kg per month, as proposed in the concept paper of Food Security Bill circulated by the Government of India,” said Singh during the meeting of the Working Group on Food & Public Distribution organised by Planning Commission’s Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at New Delhi on Wednesday.
Singh suggested that the APL cardholders must also get 35 kg rice per month by slightly increasing the rate as compared to rate fixed for BPL cardholders.
He said, “Fair price shops (FPS) should be taken away from the hold of private persons. FPS should be run either by the Gram Panchayats, Cooperative Societies, Women-Self-Help Groups or Forest Protection Committees, as has been done in Chhattisgarh.”
Singh further said, “I also propose that pulses should be added as PDS item in scheduled (Tribal sub-plan) areas of the country to fight malnutrition. Two kg of pulse should be provided to the BPL beneficiaries every month for which at least Rs. 25 per kg subsidy should be provided by the Government of India.”
He also suggested that a toll free call centre or help line should be established for grievance redressal so that complaints regarding PDS could not only be registered but the status of their disposal would also available on the web.
“Smart Card should be issued to each of the ration card holders, but they should be UID-compliant. Since the expenditure involved is high, the Union government should finance this. Chhattisgarh is well poised for this and the Centre should take Chhattisgarh as a pilot state for this scheme,” he added.
CM to Centre: Adopt Ch’garh PDS format across India
Advises to build godowns for buffer stock of foodgrains in the state
Raipur, September 08, 2010
Chief Minister Raman Singh has advised the Centre to adopt Chhattisgarh’s format to distribute foodgrains to BPL and APL families across the country. “In Chhattisgarh, we have taken a few measures to strengthen the public distraction system (PDS) and these steps can be implemented at country-level too,” he said. Singh’s suggestions came during the meeting of the Working Group on Food & Public Distribution organised by Planning Commission’s Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at New Delhi on Wednesday.
In the meeting, the Planning Commission sought recommendations from the Working Group for better and effective delivery of essential commodities to the vulnerable sections of society and augmentation of storage capacity.
On how to finalise number of BPL beneficiaries, Singh said, “I propose that all SC and ST families living in scheduled (Tribal sub-plan) areas should be considered as BPL families for the purpose of PDS. This will greatly help in avoiding exclusion errors in the most vulnerable areas of the country. Similarly in Left wing extremism (LWE) affected districts, all families other than those of government servants and income-tax payees should be considered as BPL families for the purpose of PDS. In the present dispensation of Government of India (GoI), many of the destitute surviving on government pension are left out from the BPL list. It will be proper to include all destitute pension holders and disabled persons in the BPL list for the purpose of PDS.”
Singh suggested that the states’ quota for BPL families under PDS should be fixed on the basis of Dr NC Saxena’s report on long term basis. “However, if the GoI has some constraints, it may start immediate allocations to the state on the basis of figures in Tendulkar Committee report,” he added.
On streamlining and strengthening of TPDS, Singh said, “In Chhattisgarh, the fair price shops (FPS) are being operated either by the gram panchayats, cooperative societies, women self help groups or by forest protection committees and similar pattern can be adopted by the Centre too. Door step delivery from PDS distribution centres to the FPS is absolutely necessary to stop pilferage of PDS items. In Chhattisgarh we have assigned this job to state civil supplies corporation with good results.”
To maintain transparency, Singh said social audits of the FPS should be periodically besides exhibition of the list of the beneficiaries at public places to be read over in the gram sabhas.
“Other than food grains, two kg of iodized salt and two kg of pulse with at least Rs. 25 per kg subsidy should also be provided to the BPL beneficiaries every month. For this, Institutions like NAFED or any other PSUs of GoI may make bulk supply of pulses to the state civil supplies corporations,” he said.
For proper running of FPS, Singh said, shop-cum-godown buildings should be constructed. “We have already constructed around 4000 FPS buildings through BRGF, Tribal Development Authority funds or 12th Finance Commission funds. But in non-BRGF districts, the GoI should provide grants for construction of FPS shop-cum-godowns,” he added.
On many states working as Decentralized Procurement State (DCP) for the purpose of food grains procurement, Singh said the GoI was not clearing the claims and losses timely and consequently the states were incurring huge loss. “In a State like Chhattisgarh, we have incurred losses to the tune of more than Rs 2200 crores in the last nine years, but our claims are not been processed in time,” he said.
On proposed amendments in Essential Commodities Act 1955, Singh pointed out that the offences related to the Act under section 10-A are cognizable and bailable. “Such offences were made cognizable and non-bailable for 15 years according to Essential Commodity (Special Provision) Act 1981. Looking to the black marketing, hoarding and abnormal price rise of essential commodities the offences related to this Act (especially for PDS commodities) should be made non-bailable,” he added.
To enhance the storage capacity of the foodgrains, Singh said, “The Centre should evolve a liberal scheme for taking godowns on 10-year guarantee scheme to stock foodgrains. In Chhattisgarh, Collectors have been empowered to allot land to the state warehousing corporation for food godowns at 75% of the guide-line rates. In DCP states, FCI should have adequate storage capacity, because the excess stocks can be transported only on availability of railway rakes and availability of space at the receiving place, which are often in short supply.”
Singh further suggested, “In food-deficit districts, cut-off areas and scheduled areas, the total storage in a district should not be less than 8 months quota of PDS. This will greatly help in assuring food security.”
On the need of additional godowns for buffer stocks arrangements, he said, “Presently the entire excess stock of food grain in the country is stocked in Punjab & Haryana. From strategic point of view, the Centre should consider creating huge godowns for buffer in the central part of the country. It will be much easier logistically to transfer food grains from Central India to any part of the country. If the Centre agrees to this, the Government of Chhattisgarh will facilitate it in this endeavor.”
He also demanded that the financial management of the decentralised procurement scheme needed to be urgently revamped and greater powers should be delegated to the state governments in the administration of price support scheme.
For effective control over rising prices of essential commodities, he said the legal provisions should be strengthened and PDS must be reformed and made consumer-centric to serve the interests of masses. “Only then will we be able to provide every citizen with a wholesome meal with human dignity. Only then will the system of food subsidy be justified,” he said.
In the meeting, the Planning Commission sought recommendations from the Working Group for better and effective delivery of essential commodities to the vulnerable sections of society and augmentation of storage capacity.
On how to finalise number of BPL beneficiaries, Singh said, “I propose that all SC and ST families living in scheduled (Tribal sub-plan) areas should be considered as BPL families for the purpose of PDS. This will greatly help in avoiding exclusion errors in the most vulnerable areas of the country. Similarly in Left wing extremism (LWE) affected districts, all families other than those of government servants and income-tax payees should be considered as BPL families for the purpose of PDS. In the present dispensation of Government of India (GoI), many of the destitute surviving on government pension are left out from the BPL list. It will be proper to include all destitute pension holders and disabled persons in the BPL list for the purpose of PDS.”
Singh suggested that the states’ quota for BPL families under PDS should be fixed on the basis of Dr NC Saxena’s report on long term basis. “However, if the GoI has some constraints, it may start immediate allocations to the state on the basis of figures in Tendulkar Committee report,” he added.
On streamlining and strengthening of TPDS, Singh said, “In Chhattisgarh, the fair price shops (FPS) are being operated either by the gram panchayats, cooperative societies, women self help groups or by forest protection committees and similar pattern can be adopted by the Centre too. Door step delivery from PDS distribution centres to the FPS is absolutely necessary to stop pilferage of PDS items. In Chhattisgarh we have assigned this job to state civil supplies corporation with good results.”
To maintain transparency, Singh said social audits of the FPS should be periodically besides exhibition of the list of the beneficiaries at public places to be read over in the gram sabhas.
“Other than food grains, two kg of iodized salt and two kg of pulse with at least Rs. 25 per kg subsidy should also be provided to the BPL beneficiaries every month. For this, Institutions like NAFED or any other PSUs of GoI may make bulk supply of pulses to the state civil supplies corporations,” he said.
For proper running of FPS, Singh said, shop-cum-godown buildings should be constructed. “We have already constructed around 4000 FPS buildings through BRGF, Tribal Development Authority funds or 12th Finance Commission funds. But in non-BRGF districts, the GoI should provide grants for construction of FPS shop-cum-godowns,” he added.
On many states working as Decentralized Procurement State (DCP) for the purpose of food grains procurement, Singh said the GoI was not clearing the claims and losses timely and consequently the states were incurring huge loss. “In a State like Chhattisgarh, we have incurred losses to the tune of more than Rs 2200 crores in the last nine years, but our claims are not been processed in time,” he said.
On proposed amendments in Essential Commodities Act 1955, Singh pointed out that the offences related to the Act under section 10-A are cognizable and bailable. “Such offences were made cognizable and non-bailable for 15 years according to Essential Commodity (Special Provision) Act 1981. Looking to the black marketing, hoarding and abnormal price rise of essential commodities the offences related to this Act (especially for PDS commodities) should be made non-bailable,” he added.
To enhance the storage capacity of the foodgrains, Singh said, “The Centre should evolve a liberal scheme for taking godowns on 10-year guarantee scheme to stock foodgrains. In Chhattisgarh, Collectors have been empowered to allot land to the state warehousing corporation for food godowns at 75% of the guide-line rates. In DCP states, FCI should have adequate storage capacity, because the excess stocks can be transported only on availability of railway rakes and availability of space at the receiving place, which are often in short supply.”
Singh further suggested, “In food-deficit districts, cut-off areas and scheduled areas, the total storage in a district should not be less than 8 months quota of PDS. This will greatly help in assuring food security.”
On the need of additional godowns for buffer stocks arrangements, he said, “Presently the entire excess stock of food grain in the country is stocked in Punjab & Haryana. From strategic point of view, the Centre should consider creating huge godowns for buffer in the central part of the country. It will be much easier logistically to transfer food grains from Central India to any part of the country. If the Centre agrees to this, the Government of Chhattisgarh will facilitate it in this endeavor.”
He also demanded that the financial management of the decentralised procurement scheme needed to be urgently revamped and greater powers should be delegated to the state governments in the administration of price support scheme.
For effective control over rising prices of essential commodities, he said the legal provisions should be strengthened and PDS must be reformed and made consumer-centric to serve the interests of masses. “Only then will we be able to provide every citizen with a wholesome meal with human dignity. Only then will the system of food subsidy be justified,” he said.
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