Skip to content Skip to navigation

India should strengthen its public distribution system to reduce food scarcity

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations has recently issued a report which reveals that currently there are 75 million (7.5 crore) people in the world who have fallen victim to famine and if the current crisis of price rise persists this count may reach the total of 920.25 million (92.25 crore).

India too is facing the same harsh situations where poorest of the poor of our country have to go to bed hungry. But at this crucial time when the country expects some stringent steps from the government's side, it is defending itself by saying that food crisis is a global problem which has already struck over 30 countries, most of which have witnessed food riots. It is not interested in finding and disclosing the root cause of this havoc

The FAO report further says that in 2007-08 there has been a 52% increase in the price of grains and that of fertilizers has doubled. In India, the retail price of many food commodities have seen a sharp rise in the past six months- pushing the inflation level around 12 at the end of September. Experts have cited various reasons behind this food crisis like increasing population, growing inclination towards bio-diesel crops, weakening of US currency, frequent natural calamities. Even the US president blamed Indians of eating more due to growing purchasing power. But in Indian context the pro market biased policies of the government and "planned weakening" of Public Distribution System (PDS) to benefit corporate sector are responsible for food crisis. Though the signs of the food and agricultural crisis were noticed by the government in its early stage but it continued with its neo liberal policies to benefit corporate sector. All this liberalization has been done under the pressure of US and World Bank who have been constantly pressurizing India to break its tariff walls and open its market for wheat import. It was due to their influence only that India became a wheat importer from wheat exporter. All this was done to benefit major grain corporate companies like Glencore, Cargill India and the Australian Wheat Board. This imported wheat was unaffordable for the poor people of India.

In spite of rising inflation and panic regarding food availability our government still believes that to sustain in world economy we need investment and support of corporate companies. The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister advocates the role of corporate sector in agriculture and says that activities other than food grain production like commercial crops, horticulture etc. have contributed most to agricultural GDP. The council recommends removal of subsidies related to grain procurement and Public Distribution System, making more room for the private sector in agriculture and promoting contract farming. These recommendations were made as per the wishes of US and World Bank who have asked India to shift from subsidy based agro-economy to more diversified agriculture sector so as to allow corporate companies to enter this sector.

To give entry to various giant grain corporations, the Indian government slowly and systematically weakened its Public Distribution System (PDS) by slowing down grain procurement, especially wheat. Taking advantage of this situation Multi National Companies like Glencore, Cargill India, the Australian Wheat Board, Indian companies like ITC and Adani group procured 30 lakh tones of wheat as compared to the government's 9.2 million between 2005-07. Due to this reduced procurement by public sector, a number of families which comes under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and collect subsidized rations from Fair Price Shops were devoid of their bread. The cost of wheat decided by corporate companies is far away from their purchasing power. This disrupted the supply and demand ratio and food insecurity prevailed in the country.

FAO's Assistant Director General Hafez Ghanem has emphasized on two important points. First, to make available grains for poor countries of the world. Second, to encourage small scale farmers to improve crop productivity. Now, it's the high time when the Indian government should also realize that those small scale farmers, who are the worst sufferer of liberal agro-economy, can be made a key to the solution of food crisis. The agricultural sector of India is mainly covered by small and marginal farmers, so our government should promote small scale agriculture. Besides, the agriculture sector should be solely covered by the public sector from investment up to marketing and distribution. Even if there is any kind of corporate investment, that should be properly regulated by the public authorities.

Sarika Tripathi

Author is a Correspondent of Citizen News Service (CNS, www.Citizen-News.org), and also a post-graduate scholar of Public Health Management at Lucknow University in India. She can be contacted at sarikasarika_49@rediffmail.com

Add new comment

Random Stories

Sigh of relief for flood hit

30 Jul 2016 - 6:28pm | Syed Miraz Ahmed
Flood relief brings no less hopes for the flood affected in many parts of Assam who have been rendered homeless. Courtesy Markazul Ma’arif, Ajmal Foundation and Assam State Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind. In a...

NRHM employees stages dharna

11 Feb 2015 - 7:07pm | Hantigiri Narzary
Employees from National Rural Health Mission(NRHM) staged dharna demanding regularization of job,immediate rectification of health services mnitoring system,immediate hikes of salaries 20% to 30% at...

Assamese scribe extols Singapore’s great leap

25 Jan 2019 - 11:38pm | Nava Thakuria
“In a single generation, Singapore became a first world country. It is now one of the wealthiest nations in the world while maintaining social harmony and remaining free of corruption and crime,” so...

Sahitya Sabha case hearing tomorrow

23 Sep 2014 - 10:31am | AT News
A local court in Jorhat on Wednesday will hear a case filed by a former Jorhat unit secretary of Asam Sahitya Sabha, Biren Saikia, seeking a stay on the current Sabha vice-president Paramananda...

Other Contents by Author

If magh bihu comes can community fishing be far behind? From early in the morning people in several places across the state are landing in community fishing a few hours before the feasting festival. Armed with the various traditional weapons, people, mostly, living near the rivers and water bodies are engaged in fishing.“It is our tradition of fishing on Uruka day. I have a good catch of fish half an hour after I landed in this water body. I need no longer to stay here,” Jiten Barman told Assam Times in Nalbari who joined the fishing early in the morning.Tridip Das a local resident of Jalukbari area is equally happy after he caught a fish during the community fishing in deepor beel, a well...
Braving a biting chill, the entire state is soaked in Magh bihu festivity on Wednesday. Every household is busy with the last minute preparations a day before the much vaunted festival of feast.Today is uruka, the day of feast festival. Shops and markets are teeming with people for last minute shopping for the evening feast. Fish, meat and vegetables are flooding in the markets from early in the morning. Apart from feast a series of cultural programmes are lined up on the occasion.After the whole night celebration, the bihu would take place on Thursday morning by liting up the wooden made meji to offer puja to the god of fire. Governor PB Acharya, chief minister Tarun Gogoi along with many...
Only a day is left for Magh Bihu, the much vaunted festival of feast and merriment. But soaring prices seem to have embittered the real taste of the festival. Shops and markets are teeming with the people for bihu shopping. But a sudden price hike makes it difficult for the common to buy the commodities in the shops and markets.“Beaten rice is available in the markets. But the price stands at Rs 60 per kg. We the common people can hardly afford cream. Price of curd, pulse, coconut and molasses are also going up,” said Ananta Saikia in Ganeshguri.Jina Devi, a housewife in Beltola told Assam Times that a tight purse has not allowed them to buy more commodities in the market. She said, “We...
The North East Research and Social Work Networking (NERSWN), an NGO of Kokrajhar base observes its 10th foundation day with two day long progrmme from Monday at Gwjwn Dera NERSWN Complex, Chnandrapara in Kokrajhar. Deputy Commissioner Themeswar Malakar inaugurated the Children’ Mela where the different types of Science Exhibition, Magic Show, Sports, Literarily and cultural by the student children displayed. Children from different schools of lower Assam participated and displayed their talent in the field of science, arts, Technologies etc.A Seminar on “Civil Society Space in Promoting peace and Reconciliation in Zone of Conflict” was also organized the seminar was...
Senior bureacrate Himanshu Sekhar Das took oath as chief commissioner of RTI on Monday. Governor JB Patnaik administered Das the oath of office and secrecy at a brief fuction at the Raj Bhawan in the morning. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was also present in the function.  
The Assam Government will confer Sukapha award to noted lawyer KN Saikia on Tuesday. The former Supreme Court judge will receive the award from chief minister Tarun Gogoi at a function at Rabindra Bhawan in the afternoon.       
A total of 702 tribal families were given away land pattas, covering 300 bighas of forest land under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 under Chirang Forest Division at a function held at Dhunabari Lower Primary school in Chirang Tuesday. BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary handed over the papers in the presence of BTC Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyary, Deputy Commissioner, Chirang, Virendra Singh Mittal, DFO, Chirang, Subash Chandra Brahma and Project Director Deba Kumar Kalita. BTC Speaker Paniram Brahma and former Transport Minister, Government of Assam, Chandan Brahma were also present in the meeting.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh put in his papers before the President on Saturday. Dr Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, rushed to president Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 12.30 in the afternoon where he tendered his resignation letters. Mukherjee accepted his letter and requested Dr Singh to continue the office till the next candidate takes over as the prime minister. Dr Singh, a professor and economist and former RBI governor was inducted in the Narasimha Rao cabinet as finance minister in 1991. In 1992, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. Later in 20 04, when the party regained power he was sworn in as prime minister. He continued the office when...
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that he would quit taking moral responsibility of his party's dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls. Talking to Assamtimes at his Koinadhara residence on Friday, a visibly Gogoi said that he would send his letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her consent. Same this was what APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita said after his party was trailing behind BJP in 8 seats.