Madhya Pradesh - Food security | Course for MPPSC Preparation - MPPSC (Madhya Pradesh) PDF Download

Historical View on Food Security

• India's Public Distribution System (PDS) is the largest distribution network of its kind in the world. PDS was introduced around World War II as a war-time rationing measure.
• Before the 1960s, distribution through PDS was generally dependant on imports of food grains.
• It was expanded in the 1960s as a response to the food shortages of the time; subsequently, the government set up the Agriculture Prices Commission and the Food Corporation of India to improve domestic procurement and storage of food grains for PDS.
• By the 1970s, PDS had evolved into a universal scheme for the distribution of subsidised food.
• In the 1990s, the scheme was revamped to improve access of food grains to people in hilly and inaccessible areas, and to target the poor.
• Subsequently, in 1997, the government launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), with a focus on the poor.
• TPDS aims to provide subsidised food and fuel to the poor through a network of ration shops.
• Food grains such as rice and wheat that are provided under TPDS are procured from farmers, allocated to states and delivered to the ration shop where the beneficiary buys his entitlement.
• The centre and states share the responsibilities of identifying the poor, procuring grains and delivering food grains to beneficiaries.
• In September 2013, Parliament enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013.
• The Act relies largely on the existing TPDS to deliver food grains as legal entitlements to poor households.
• This marks a shift by making the right to food a justiciable right. In order to understand the implications of this Act, the note maps the food supply chain from the farmer to the beneficiary, identifies challenges to implementation of TPDS, and discusses alternatives to reform TPDS.

Madhaya Pradesh Food Security also based on National Food Security

• The National Development Council (NDC) in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May, 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice, wheat and pulses to increase the production of rice by 10 million tons, wheat by 8 million tons and pulses by 2 million tons by the end of the Eleventh Plan (2011-12).
• Accordingly, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, ‘National Food Security Mission’ (NFSM), was launched in October 2007.
• The Mission is being continued during 12th Five Year Plan with new targets of additional production of food grains of 25 million tons of food grains comprising of 10 million tons rice, 8 million tons of wheat, 4 million tons of pulses and 3 million tons of coarse cereals by the end of 12th Five Year Plan.
• The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) during the 12th Five Year Plan will have five components
  • NFSM- Rice;
  • NFSM-Wheat;
  • NFSM-Pulses,
  • NFSM-Coarse cereals and
  • NFSM-Commercial Crops.

Area Coverage under NFSM from 2016-17 onwards:

• From 2016-17, NFSM is implemented in 638 districts of 29 states.
• NFSM-Rice is being implemented in 194 districts of 25 states.
• NFSM-Wheat is being implemented in 126 districts of 11 states.
• NFSM-Pulses is being implemented in 638 districts of 29 states
• An NFSM-Coarse cereal is being implemented in 265 districts of 28 states.

MP NFSM Districts Where priority food security Crops

• NFSM-Pulses– anuppur , ashok nagar , balaghat , barwani , betul , bhind , bhopal , burhanpur , chhatarpur , chhindwara , damoh , datia , dewas , dhar , dindori , east nimar , guna , gwalior , harda , hoshangabad , indore , jabalpur , jhabua , katni , west nimar (khargon) , mandla , mandsaur , morena , narsinghpur , neemuch , panna , raisen , rajgarh , ratlam , rewa , sagar , satna , sehore , seoni , shahdol , shajapur , sheopur , shivpuri , sidhi , tikamgarh , ujjain , umaria , vidisha , alirajpur , singrauli , agar malwa ,
• NFSM-Rice- anuppur , damoh , dindori , katni , mandla , panna , rewa , sidhi ,
• wheat- ashok nagar , chhatarpur , east nimar , guna , katni , panna , raisen , rajgarh , rewa , sagar , satna , seoni , shivpuri , sidhi , tikamgarh , vidisha ,
• NFSM-coarse cereals- anuppur , barwani , betul , chhindwara , dhar , dindori , east nimar , jhabua , mandla , mandsaur , morena , rajgarh , ratlam , shajapur , shivpuri , alirajpur , singrauli

MP Food Security Act, 2013

Food Security Act 2013

• The Food Security Act seeks for “providing food and nutrition security in human life cycle by ensuring adequate quality and quantity of food at affordable prices”.
• The Act extends to the whole of India and “shall be deemed to have come into force on the 5th day of July 2013”.
• The Indian National Food Security Act, 2013 also Right to Food Act, was signed into law September 12 2013. This law aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of India 1.2 Action people. Under the provisions of the Act, beneficiaries are to be able to purchase 5 kilograms per eligible person per month of cereals at the following prices.
  • Rice at 3 per kg.
  • Wheat at 2 per kg.
  • Coarse grains millet at 1 per kg.

Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free meals.

Salient features

• Seventy five percent of rural and 50 percent of the urban population are entitled for three years from enactment to five kg food grains per month.
• The states are responsible for determining eligibility.
• Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a nutritious take home ration of 600 Calories and a maternity benefit of at least Rs 6,000 for six months.
• Children 6 months to 14 years of age are to receive free hot meals or “take home rations”.
• The central government will provide funds to states in case of short supplies of food grains.
• The current food grain allocation of the states will be protected by the central government for at least six months.
• The state governments will provide a food security allowance to the beneficiaries in case of non-supply of food grains.
• The Public Distribution System is to be reformed.
• The eldest woman in the household, 18 years or above, is the head of the household for the issuance of the ration card.
• There will be state- and district-level redress mechanisms.
• State Food Commissions will be formed for implementation and monitoring of the provisions of the Act.

Transparency and Grievance Redressal

• The Act provides a two-tier grievance redressal structure District Grievance Redressal Officer DGRO State Food Commission.

Transparency Provisions also added in the act.

Mandatory transparency provisions in the Act include:-

• Periodic social audits of the PDS and other welfare schemes.
• End-to-End computerization of the PDS.
• Setting up vigilance committees at state, district, block and fair price shop levels to supervise all schemes under the act.

District Grievance Redressal Officers

• DGROS shall be appointed by state governments for each district

Penalties and Compensation

• The Commissions will be having powers to impose penalties.
• If an order of the DGRO is not complied with, the concerned authority or officer can be fined up to Rs.5,000.
• If there is a non-availability of supplies, the persons would be granted a food security allowance by the State government.