Allotment under food security Act merely half the consumption

NFSA entitles 67% of population to five kg of food grains, rice, wheat or coarse grains a month

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is hard-selling the National Food Security Act (NFSA), saying this will eradicate hunger from India. However, subsidised food grains provided under the new law is about half the consumption by the poor, both in urban and rural areas. Also, the national per capita consumption is about twice the entitlement under NFSA.

The NFSA, passed in both Houses of Parliament in August 2013, entitles 67 per cent of the country’s population to five kg of food grains---rice, wheat or coarse grains---a month.

A recent National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) showed in 2011-12, 10 per cent of the population (which has the lowest household expenditure) in rural and urban areas consumed 10 kg and 9.4 kg of cereals a month, respectively. National consumption of cereals stood at 11.2 kg and 9.3 kg per person in rural and urban regions, respectively.

Experts say the data indicates the NFSA has to be modified. “There has to be a differentiated level of entitlement, not a universal one, as the Act states in its current form. However, that would be a difficult task,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at CARE Ratings.

Through the 18 years from 1993-94 to 2011-12, monthly cereal consumption fell from 13.4 kg to 11.2 kg in rural areas and from 10.6 kg to 9.3 kg in urban parts.

The first draft of the Bill in this regard, presented in Parliament in 2011, had sought

7 kg of grains a person, a month for priority category households, and three-four kg for the general category. But a standing committee recommended a uniform level of five kg.

A few analysts, however, say the Act isn’t aimed at eradicating hunger, but providing basic support. “The purpose of the Act is not to guarantee 100 per cent food security, but to fulfil substantial requirement, which is clearly accomplished,” said Reetika Khera, assistant professor of economics at Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi.

She added the idea of fine-tuning the entitlement according to needs, though attractive, was difficult to implement.

T N Seema, a Rajya Sabha member from Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a member of the parliamentary standing committee on food, had questioned the panel’s move to reduce the monthly entitlement of priority sector households from seven kg a person to five kg. Under the Public Distribution System, below-poverty-line (BPL) families and those covered by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) get 35 kg of grains a month. If one considers an average family size of five members, the quantity of food grains provided by the NFSA is less.

Seema had said, “The uniform entitlement recommended by the committee at 5 kg a person is unacceptable, as it will reduce even the present 35-kg entitlement for BPL and AAY families by 10 kg for a family of five.” The note added the cut in entitlement would result in food insecurity for 65.2 million families (currently identified as BPL/AAY beneficiaries); it would merely help the government cut subsidy.

Speaking to Business Standard, Seema said the government had adequate resources to cater to the majority of the population and provide it basic food security. “The present entitlement is insufficient. The government said providing seven kg would lead to acute shortage of stocks in the future. But we have adequate resources. I had raised this point in Parliament, too. How can we address the issue of malnutrition with the present clause?”