India is a nation that suffers from a chronic problem of execution of policies. We have a public distribution system (PDS) that doesn’t connect with the bottom millions; an Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme that is too weak and a National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) that is fraught with operational difficulties. It is with this background that Parliament is going to vote on the proposed Right to Food Act, vital for the 456 million people who live on less than $1.25(Rs 60) a day. The government deserves a pat on the back for having perceived food as a right.
This Bill must assess the amount of food mandatory for every Below-Poverty-Line (BPL) family and verify it with the panchayat and civil society organisations empowered to monitor the implementation of PDS, ICDS and NREGS. Self-help groups must be tied to every Anganwadi as supervisory bodies and also be requested to supply nutritious food to these institutions.
The conversation must move from food security to nutrition security — quality food and not just any kind of food. Right to food should mean right to nutrition for every child below three years of age; supplementing it with promotion of breast-feeding and day care with maternal nutrition and maternity entitlements. Right to food for children below six years should also be included, with specific intervention for children who are under- nourished.
Besides, children out of school, migrants, people with disability in need of care, homeless and the elderly should be included within the purview of the Act.
The Supreme Court’s orders on ICDS and Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) should be incorporated into the Bill and the grassroots civil societies empowered to monitor the implementation of the Right to Food Bill through the ICDS mechanism.
A civil society with an involvement of parents should be made mandatory for every Anganwadi. More importantly, provision for a mechanism for timely grievance-redressal and penalties for violators should be in place.
The Bill must take into account the reality of natural disasters in our nation. Today, parts of our country face floods as well as drought. What does “right to food” mean for the poor during times of crisis? Millions of poor face imminent food shortage following months of intense drought and recent devastating floods.
This Bill is urgent. It must not be passed on to a Select Committee. MPs need to pass this Bill in this session. The poor cannot wait any longer. They have gone hungry for generations.
Jayakumar Christian, National Director World Vision India, on email
