After a wait of 63 long years. Government is thinking of taking responsibility of feeding its starving people. The word thinking, I am using here knowingly. Because as wide is the ambit of the food security bill, more then that is the process and procedure. How government is going to implement it. Implementation part is raising so many doubts. Looking to the credibility of the government, its agencies and contractors, it looks almost impossible. It is almost sure that after a span of 3-4 years we are going to listen the same thing, starvation deaths, undernourishment, Corores of rupees are gulped by those who were entrusted responsibility of its implementation. It is really tough. We have experienced miserable failure of FDS. It is the same government who was crying, for the amount of subsidy in this head. It is really eighth wonder of the world, the same government, the same head of the government, with thorough knowledge of economics is ready to share this burden of subsidy, going to cost Rs. 3067 Corores. Even then the ambit and provisions of the bill are going to have such a wide impact on the majority population of the country, that no political party can dare to neglect it. Yes it is prime duty of any government to take care of primary needs of its people, in these primary needs, food security comes at first. It is important for any government to save its poor masses from the effect of inflation causing starvation.
How ever it is important to see, how provisions of this proposed bill are going to be implemented. It needs lot of home work. Any haste in this direction is ultimately going to ruin poor masses who are going to be most benefited. Because failure of the bill will give rulers of the country an excuse to say that such type of experiments are not fiisible. And it will put a break on other so many issues, required to be implemented in future. This bill, how ever good and important it may be, have several social problems hidden in it. It is also time to gauge and look for solutions of these problems. It is not the question of any particular political party. It is a national issue. Needs to be handled with care. Not only all political parties, but social organisations also have an important role to play in successful implementation of this bill.
Coming to the provisions of the bill, states have a mega role to play. Almost most of the burden is transferred on the states. Right from procurement of food grains to storage of it, transportation and distribution is going to be another big work of the states. The success of the bill is largely depend on states, they have to bear 30% cost, rest 70% cost is born by the center, state- center relationship will play a major role in it, apart from it state have to recognize 46% to 90% population in the rural and 28% to 90% population in the urban area, they have to maintain record of it and to distribute food grains to it. Only distribution of the food grains is not the only duty to be performed by the states, beside several other measures require to curb starvation and undernourishment states have to play a role in making arrangement of distribution of cooked meals. This cooked meal is to be distributed to the homeless population. Major issue is that several states are providing food grains at subsidized rates to the people presently. And these schemes of the states have provoked center to bring this legislation. What will happen to these schemes. In fact it is not and should not be the matter of taking credit for any political party, it is primary duty of, not only the state but also of every well off citizen to get such type of scheme implemented successfully. It needs lot of discussion and ground work. Which is absent.
Don't know whether these various problems and their solutions are also in mind, while proceeding for this bill.
Because implementation of MANREGA got some criticism, of not finding laborers. Though these problems can not be an excuse for implementation of poor pro schemes, but balance should be maintained. This is not in vision. What will happen to the industries and other productive work fields. Will they continue to receive work force, at their work place. If YES at what cost. How this is going to effect growth rate, GDP of the nation. We all are aware of the beggars population in the country, how this population is going to behave. How our leaders will understand that It is not a subject of 2014 elections, but connected with the eradication of starvation from the land, which is a great social abuse to any nation. Needs to be addressed jointly. Present circumstances are only indicating, half hearted efforts, probably with a view, that we are not going to come in power in 2014, why not create big hurdles for those coming to power. Believe it or not, preparations of the government in connection with this bill is the indication, that the regime for the political party coming to power is going to create havoc for them.
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