Amidst conflicting demands from various state governments on the Centres allocation of foodgrains under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS), the six-member team of the United Front to suggest changes in the scheme is scheduled to meet on September 14. The steering committee is to meet the next day.
State governments like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, where the public distribution system is in operation for a long time, have already sounded out the Centre not to cut their share of foodgrain after the TPDS comes into effect.
States like Kerala have reportedly suffered due to the new scheme as there has been a considerable reduction in the Centres allocation of foodgrains, even though at half the issue price.
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Kerala used to get 2 lakh tonne rice every month at the central issue price before the TPDS became operational. Its share has now gone down to 15,000 tonne every month at half the issue price.
On the other hand, the targeted public distribution systemhas failed to take off in many states because of non-identification of people below poverty line and the anomalies in the Centres criteria with regard to people below poverty line.
So far, the government has failed to identify the number of people below poverty line. The government order on their identification does not talk about the annual income of family to be considered below poverty line, CPI(M) politbureau member S Ramachandran Pillai said.
He said each state government faced different problems with regard to the implementation of the targeted public distribution system and the government had failed to apply its mind on the diversity of the problem.
The need of the hour is that serious thought should be given to the complexities of the problem and comes out with a concrete proposal, another Left leader said.
Appart from other issues, the Centre is also reportedly finding it difficult to commit itself to an increase in foodgrains under the schme.
While the United Front steering committee in its last meeting decided to raise the quantum of foodgrains supplied through the targeted public distribution system from the present 10 kgs per family, actual quantum of hike was left for the six-member team.
The members of the team are: Union ministers P Chidambaram (finance), Mulayam Singh Yadav (defence),Chaturanan Mishra (agriculture), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (food), Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu and Assam Chief Minister and AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
The committee was expected to submit its report by September 6. But it is unlikely to submit the report this month.