Fight Over Payment Leaves States Short Of Grains
Akshaya Mukul | TNN
New Delhi: Come July and 12 crore children benefiting from the mid-day meal scheme may go without food as states have nearly run out of foodgrain and fresh supply is caught up in wrangling over the mode of payment.
Normally,foodgrain for every quarter is lifted a month in advance.But with June approaching and the department of food and public distribution and HRD ministry still to resolve their differences on the mode of payment,the most successful flagship programme is facing a severe crisis as there is no hope that rice and wheat will be lifted for the next quarter.
States like Jharkhand,Punjab,Rajasthan,Maharashtra,Uttar Pradesh and others have pressed the panic button and written to the HRD ministry.On May 18,secretary school education wrote to her counterpart in the department of food and public distribution expressing concern that allocation for the second quarter was not being released by FCI possibly due to non-resolution of the pre/post-payment issue.Timely availability of fooodgrain is key to successful implementation of MDM, she wrote.MDM,endorsed by economists like Amartya Sen,has not only led to massive improvement in school enrolment but has also provided much-needed nutritional support to millions of children.Adoption of MDM first started in 1925 by Madras Municipal Corporation in the mid-1980 s by states like Tamil Nadu ensured that the state did better in education.
Meanwhile,the two departments are busy arguing with even ministers Sharad Pawar and Kapil Sibal writing to each other but with no result.The department of food and public distribution has made it clear that FCI will not allow lifting of grain till HRD ministry agrees to make advance payment.
On its part,HRD ministry said payment was decentralised at the district level so that there was no delay,a constant complaint by FCI.
- Sharmishtha
This shocking, outrageous and utterly unacceptable!
ReplyDeleteHow can the State fall short of food grains in July when the nation witnessed a criminal wastage of food grains in March until May due to lack of storage facilities. 6 million Tons of food grains were wasted and declared unfit for human consumption due to rodent infestations.
Its shameful!
Check thic out - http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/food-grains-rotting-away-in-indian-godowns-streets
Sharad Pawar in Asian Age dated 9th May 2010 was quoted – “The condition of the godowns in the country is not good and that is resulting in the rotting of food grains.” While the careless government has had the audacity to acknowledge that country wastes 58,000 crores worth of food grains every year, due to lack of or poor storage facilities, now there is shortage of grains for this flagship program...I am shocked!!
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