Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) With the government working on a draft food security bill, the Right to Food Campaign Tuesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should make the public distribution system (PDS) universal.

“The draft bill prepared by the government is inadequate,” said the letter given by Right to Food campaign to the prime minister.

The draft food bill aims at covering around 75 percent of the population.

“In spite of the Supreme Court directive there have been no concerted efforts to distribute excess foodgrains in government godowns to the poor have been made by the government,” said the letter.

Presenting the logic behind the demand for a universal PDS, the Right to Food campaign said many recent studies show that targeting of PDS benefits invariably ends up excluding large number of poor families. The letter also also said PDS works better in states where it is universal or near universal like Tamil Nadu.

Campaign activist Anjali Bhargava said by expanding coverage of the PDS, reducing issue price of grains, and reforming delivery system, many states have greatly improved the PDS and reduced leakages.

The campaign also demanded halting of the ongoing socio economic and caste census and said it had many shortcomings. Activists also said the government’s plan to replace subsidised grains under the PDS with direct cash transfers was faulty.

Asking for special measures to provide nutrition security to all children, the campaign said entitlement of vulnerable groups including social security pensions for the aged, single women, and persons with disabilities, maternity entitlements and community kitchens in urban areas must also be put in place.

The also asked for decentralised procurement of foodgrains.