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Round The States
New Delhi, 25 March 2010
Public Distribution
System
STATES PLAYING
MERRY HELL
By Insaf
Almost all the States are in the dock for playing merry hell
with the Public Distribution System. A Central Vigilance Committee set up by
the Supreme Court to look into the Public Distribution System has found that
the sale of foodgrains through the PDS to poor families throughout the country
at highly subsidized prices is stinking of corruption, hoarding and black
marketing. “Corruption”, says the CVC in its damning report, “is all pervasive
in the entire chain involved in the PDS… True some officers are doing a good
job, but then most functionaries under them in the Department are typically
callous and resort to corrupt practices.” The CVC, headed by Justice D.P.
Wadhwa, retired Supreme Court judge, submitted its report to a Bench of
Justices Dalveer Bhandari and K.S. Radhakrishnan, hearing a petition on the need
for streamlining the PDS, after touring various states and scrutinizing the
operation of the PDS through fair price shops.
The Centre gives a whopping Rs. 28,000/- crore annually to
the States to subsidise food for the poor. Tragically, however, “the poor go on
suffering at the hands of corrupt officials, dishonest Fair Price Shops (FPS)
owners, treacherous transporters and, possibly to a large extent, unscrupulous
miller as well.” There was large-scale diversion of food grains supplied to the
PDS and blackmarketing by FPS dealers, provoking the CVC to assert: “Corruption
in the PDS is a cancerous growth and has to be chopped off as patchwork would
not do.” There was a strong nexus between the FPS dealers and officials of the
department; improper records, false entries in registers and, above all,
political influence and interference hampering public distribution. In Bihar, for instance, foodgrains were not distributed
every month. The Committee visited many villages and towns and met lots of
beneficiaries. All generally complained that during the last year, they got
foodgrains only for 2 to 3 months!
* * * *
Capital Delhi Is Worst
Of interest is the terminology used by Justice Wadhwa for
different states. Rajasthan --- PDS has collapsed; political pressure is put on
the appointment of FPS dealers. Jharkhand --- PDS is a glaring example of what
the system ought not to be. The distribution mechanism of the State has
continued in the hands of the most corrupt and inefficient Bihar State Food and
Supply Corporation. Rotten grain and good grain lie together in the godown. If
the FPS owners do not pay the godown manager Rs. 10 per bag, he supplies rotten
grain! Gujarat --- FPS owners bribe officials
to get FPS licences and pay monthly bribes. Karnataka --- enforcement lax,
collusion between officials, investigating agencies, dealers and wholesalers.
But the most damming comments are for Delhi.
Apart from terming the PDS as inefficient and corrupt, the CVC has stated: “There
is largescale diversion and blackmarketing of food grains. Subsidised PDS foodgrain
does not reach the poor, the FPS owner uses bogus/fake ration cards for
blackmarketing of PDS food grain.”
* * * *
Andhra Tackles
Maoism
Andhra Pradesh has some lessons to offer in tackling Maoism.
Remember, only 15 of India’s
630 districts suffered from Maoist incidents in the 1990s. Today Maoists have
become much stronger in most States. Over 200 districts are affected, despite
big increase in anti-terrorism outlays. The only exception is Andhra Pradesh,
where Maoist incidents reportedly fell from 576 in 2005 to 62 in 2009, Maoist
killings from 211 to 17 and police deaths from 25 to nil. Contrary to a popular
impression, the change has not been brought about by the State’s specialized
anti-Maoist force called the Greyhounds. It has been transformed by economic
development and welfare. Massive irrigation, construction and welfare
programmes have created so much employment that Maoism has lost its attraction
for once-unemployed youth in the State. The casual labour wage is now well
above the minimum of Rs. 120 per day. Welfare schemes, notably rice at Rs.2 per
kilo, have provided safety nets. Police action, as the CM Rosaiah insists, was
no doubt crucial. Ultimately, it was economic progress and welfare that
spearheaded the State’s success against Maoism.
* * * *
Naga Talks In Trouble
A question mark has gone up over the Centre’s talks with
Nagaland’s leading militant group: NSCN (IM). Last Sunday, General Secretary,
Thuingaleng Muviah, no doubt, commended the Government of India for its
“seriousness in finding a peaceful solution.”
But he stuck to his basic demand of sovereignty, which is not acceptable
to New Delhi,
stating: “We have told them very clearly, don’t try to impose the Indian
Constitution on us. The Nagas will never accept it.” Importantly, Muivah
declared this while addressing the 30th “Republic Day” function as
the “Prime Minister” of the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim
(GPRN). The function, which had to be seen to be believed for its solemnity and
popular impact, was held at the NSCN-IM’s truce-time headquarters at camp Hebron, about 80 km from
Kohima. Muivah initially hoisted the Nagalim flag. Three contingents of the
“Naga Army”, including two women’s contingents, thereafter marched past
smartly. Muivah also declared: “We have been talking with the Government of
India for 13 years now. We have fought for Naga rights and have not berdged an
inch. We have not moved today. Nor shall we move tomorrow…..”
* * * *
Kerala Facing
Drought?
Is Kerala going to be a victim of global warming? Fears are
that it will. The lush green southern-most State, with 44 rivers, thousands of
water bodies and world-famous backwaters is facing a drought. Studies
undertaken last year show that there has been an 18 per cent rainfall shortage
i.e. the State received 230
cm of rainfall as against an average of 260 cm. This had led to the
groundwater dipping 28 per cent. Even though peak summer is yet to set in,
Palakkad in the north is already reeling under 42 deg C, which is 9 degrees
above normal! So far nine persons have been hospitalized for sunstroke and some
even have their skin peeling off because of sun burns. A similar situation
prevails in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. Acute water and power shortage is
already staring the people in the face. A concerned State government has rushed
a team of experts to the affected districts to study the phenomenon and suggest
remedial action. Worse, water levels in reservoirs and rivers have dipped, and
the Sasthamkotta lake, which supplies drinking water to large swathes of south
Kerala has dried. Environmentalists believe the drought is a result of the
global warming, thanks to the ruthless exploitation of natural resources like
sand-mining and tree-felling. Time for New
Delhi to pay heed!
* * * *
India’s Wine
Capital
Bangalore or Bengaluru, as the capital of
Karnataka is now called, has reason to rejoice and celebrate. It has quietly
acquired the status of India’s
wine capital, in addition to being the country’s IT capital. Incredible as it
may seem, drinking wine has become a way of life in Bangalore, thanks to the BJP-led Yeddyurappa
Government. Some ten months ago, it became the first-ever State Government to
announce an explicit wine policy, which promoted wine as a family drink and
allowed the beverage to be sold in malls and metromarts. This has worked
wonders, what with the young and the elderly and men and women alike eagerly
adopting the new drinking habit. More and more Bangaloreans are now uncorking
bottles of refreshing wine instead of opting for the traditional whisky and
soda. Sale of
wine has reportedly risen to 25 lakh litres per annum from just 13 lakh litres
in 2006-07. Area under grape cultivation, which is receiving top Government
priorities, has increased from 500 to 1,800 acres. The State now has nine
wineries. Some 30 per cent of its produce is being exported to the U.K., France
and the U.S.!
---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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