[Reader-list] Reg: Right to Food - Set 2

[Rakesh Iyer]

Link:

Article:

Right to food: ‘Authorities look to hide poverty, not address it’

*Atikh Rashid <http://www.indianexpress.com/columnist/atikhrashid/>**Tags :
Poverty <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/right-to-food-/805005>, Right to
Food <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/right-to-food-/805005>, R K
Gaikwad<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/right-to-food-/805005>
, Anant Phadke <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/right-to-food-/805005>,
BPL <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/right-to-food-/805005>**Posted: Fri
Jun 17 2011, 02:38 hrs**Pune:**
**

Right to Food activists have alleged that the government was, in the garb of
‘Garibi hatao’, pursuing the agenda of ‘Garibi Chhupao’. They said the
assumption that only those having a spending ability of Rs 20 a day in urban
areas and Rs 15 a day in rural areas are poor was a cruel joke. They have
demanded implementation of the Wadhwa Committee recommendations.

Right to Food Campaign, Pune district, (Ann Adhikar Abhiyan), on Thursday
staged a demonstration in front of the Collector’s office. A delegation from
the RFC met additional collector R K Gaikwad, who assured them that local
issues about the rationing system would be solved in the next two-three
months and a followup of the Jan-Sunwai (public hearing) organised by the
RFC will be done. He also promised a joint meeting with the District Supply
Officer and Food Distribution Officer.

Dr Anant Phadke of Right to Food Campaign said, “When various surveys
conducted by government itself are coming up with results indicating fragile
health of women and saying that every year about 100 children die due to
malnutrition, the government’s stubbornness to show the world that there is
no poverty in the country is ridiculous.”

An affidavit filed by the Planning Commission in the Supreme Court defined a
BPL family as one that spends less than Rs 779 a month in urban areas and Rs
447 a month in rural areas. A family spending above this limit is considered
above poverty line. In the given spending limits, is it not possible to
live, forget about living honorably. Activists said if this was the
criterion to decide poverty, then surely it would throw crores of poor
families out of the BPL cover. RFC activists demanded that the guiding
principles for allotment of the fair price shops be revised, a vigilance
committee should be formed at every fair price shop with mandatory
representation of women in them, ensure that the ration reaches the fair
price shops at the beginning of every month besides an SMS to beneficiaries
that the ration has arrived in the shops.

*