Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The Right to Food campaign Tuesday charged the draft National Food Security Bill (NFSB) with ignoring the food security needs of children or the growing problem of malnutrition.

The Right to Food campaign activists charged that the draft bill, which is in the public domain, aims to minimise government’s responsibilities, restrict children’s entitlements and avoid accountability. They have written to union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath to ensure food and nutrition security of all children.

“Not only does the draft Bill do grave injustice to people’s food security in general, it does not ascertain the right of children to food security,” said the letter from the Right to Food campaign to Krishna Tirath.

“It appears the government does not consider the specific issues related to the food security of children or the vast problem of malnutrition among them, to have any significance.”

According to the campaign activists, the total allocation for children (who constitute 44 percent of the population) in the Budget 2011-12 is still only about four percent of the total expenditure.

They alleged that though the draft food security bill of the National Advisory Council recognised the need for a legal entitlement for over 15 crore women working in the informal sector and the food security of very young children, the draft Bill of the food ministry has struck it off.

The campaign activists alleged the current legal guarantee of ‘hot cooked meals’ for children attending anganwadis in the NAC draft has been diluted in the government bill by providing the option of ‘Ready to Eat Meals’.

“It appears the government Bill is more about creating markets and protecting corporate interests than the interests of children,” said the letter.