CLAIMS

Extension of the 5 kg free ration allocation (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) for 80 crore people over the next five years.

TRUTH

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was initially introduced in April 2020 in response to the demands of the Left to distribute free rations to all in addition to what was available under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in order to alleviate the hunger and distress caused by the  by the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided an extra 5 kg of free food grains to every ration cardholder, in addition to the existing NFSA entitlement of 5 kg of food grains at subsidized rates. Consequently, ration cardholders were entitled to 10 kg of ration per person since April 2020.  The free ration was supposed to be for one year. 

In November, 2023, the Govt. announced that now free rations would be provided to 80 crore people for the next 5 years.  In actual fact, people are being deprived of rations.  In the first place, the subsidized rations that card holders were able to access have been denied to them.

According to government figures, more than 4.5 crore ration cards were canceled between 2013 and 2021. Despite the fact that the number of ration cards being canceled every year had been increasing during 2013-2021, the government is not releasing any figures for years after this. It is estimated, however, that in the last 3 years another 1.9 crore cards have been canceled.

Since no census has been carried out after 2011, it is probable that around 10 crore people have been deprived of being covered by NFSA and are also not receiving the free rations.

Huge numbers of applications for coverage by these schemes are pending. An estimated 7 lakh application for Targeted PDS are pending in the tribal majority state of India, Jharkhand.

The government has been systematically reducing funding to the NFSA. In the budgetary allocation for NFSA in the fiscal year 2023-24, 2.12 lakh crore rupees was sanctioned. This was reduced to 2.05 lakh crore in the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. Over the last five years the Modi Government has reduced funding of the NFSA by around 40 per cent.

Between 2016-20 malnutrition increased in 314 districts out of 707 districts.

India now ranks 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index. We have a lower status even than neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In 2014 India’s GHI ranking was 55 out of 76 countries, now in 2024 India stands at 111th.

According to the National Family Health Survey – 5 (NFHS) more than 30 per cent of children below 5 years in India are underweight and similar percentage are malnourished. Anemia prevalence in children of 6-59 months is 67 per cent, in adolescent girls 15-19 yrs it is 59 per cent, in women of reproductive age it is 57 per cent, in pregnant women it is 52 per cent.

Household Food Insecurity was found to have substantially increased from 21 per cent to 80 per cent between 2019-21, with 62 per cent of households shifting from food security to insecurity and 17 per cent staying food insecure.

A very recent report has stated that 7 crore children in India are deprived of even a single decent meal in a day.

A state like LDF – run Kerala has, with its own resources, continues to implement a Universal PDS (14 items are available from the ration shops) and also tries to make food grains etc. available at lower prices than the open market through Fair Price shops. This should be replicated throughout the country.

To remedy the situation, it is essential to ensure the provision of a minimum of 35 kgs of food grains for a family or 7 kgs of food grains per individual, whichever amount is higher, at a maximum price of Rs. 2 per kg of food grains. This should be in addition to the 5 kgs of free rations being provided. Ration cards must be issued to all those who are entitled to them.

Along with food grains, the PDS must supply essential commodities such as pulses, edible oil, sugar, kerosene at controlled prices.

The ICDS and Mid-Day Meal Schemes must get higher allocations to ensure hot, nutritious meals. Instead, the Central government is allocating only a pittance and even this is not being paid in time. This is having a very adverse impact on the nutritional needs of poor children.

The allowance under the Food Security Act of Rs. 6000 for pregnant women must be implemented without conditionalities so that both they and the unborn child can access necessary nutrition.

There is a great need for free kitchens and subsidized canteens for vulnerable sections of the population such as migrant workers, destitutes, widows, disabled persons. 

The PDS must be strengthened and its scope widened. Adivasis and poor communities living in remote and hilly areas must be given access to ration shops and both free and subsidized rations.

Spiraling prices of food grains, edible oils and foodstuffs are having a terrible impact on poor households. The BJP government far from intervening to control prices of essential commodities is actually committed to removing all restrictions and controls. Replacing of ration shops and the PDS with cash transfers will further aggravate the situation and must be resisted.

Hunger and malnutrition that stalks millions of households in our country expose the hollow claims of the BJP government.

STRENGTHEN AND EXTEND THE PDS!  DEFEAT BJP!

Published by Communist Party of India (Marxist)