Editorial
Reaching food to people
New measures of govt must succeed
AGAINST the backdrop of skyrocketing prices of essentials and untold misery of the people of every stratum, government has taken the decision to double the allocation of rice under the Open Market Sale (OMS) programme. To this effect, we understand, an additional 1,200 to 1,500 tonnes of rice will be supplied every day to the OMS outlets until end of April. But, we feel considerable time has been spent by the authorities in taking the vital decision of making food grains available on a wider scale, especially to the ultra poor. The other decision of extending the OMS programme to the rural areas down to union level is a worthwhile decision, but the union council leaders will have to ensure that the allotted rice will reach the needy in their constituencies.
We understand the government is also contemplating increasing the coverage of the ultra poor under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) and also replacing a portion of rice given under VGF with potato. Since the country has seen a bumper crop this season, this nature-given bounty might also prove to be a temporary boon for the poor. Bringing diversity in staple food is a good idea but options have to be there for the people to take.
We feel the idea of bringing the urban and rural poor under some kind of safety net is the immediate task be-fore the government. Availability of food is not all there is to the issue. Much more important is the question of affordability on the part of the vast majority of people. We suggest that employment generation should be given the utmost priority so that people have minimum money to buy food. At the same time, food for work programme needs to be extended throughout the country.
We believe medium to long-term solution to the problem is rooted in improved and effective planning incorporating timely procurement, proper storing and timely distribution of foodgrains based on reliable statistics all the way. The aspect of constant monitoring of distribution of food is an area the government will have to make foolproof for achieving better results. Besides, monitoring of the markets, greater vigilance has to be directed towards the distribution chain so that the middle-man factor can be eliminated or at best minimised to keep prices under control.
After trying out various measures the government has now decided on a massive OMS operation. So, the stake is very high; all-out efforts must be made to make it a success.
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