(a) whether the Government has assessed the efficacy of the Schemes being implemented for eradication of hunger and starvation;
(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof along with the reasons for failure to control hunger/starvation despite huge stocks of foodgrains rotting under the open sky;
(c) the steps taken to check and completely eradicate hunger/starvation in the country;
(d) whether there are reports that the number of starvation deaths is being suppressed by reporting them as deaths due to diseases etc.; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto along with the corrective steps taken in this regard? |
| ANSWER |
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a) to (c): The Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has not assessed the efficacy of the Schemes being implemented by it with specific objective of eradication of hunger and starvation. However, for eradication of hunger and starvation in the country, the Government has been providing food grains at highly subsidized prices to the targeted population through State Governments/Union Territory Administrations under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) such as Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Wheat Based Nutrition Programme, Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) – ‘Sabla’, Annapurna, Emergency Feeding Programme, etc. During 2012-13, a quantity of 571.62 lakh tons of food grains have been allocated to States/UTs under TPDS. This includes additional allocation of 50 lakh tons of foodgrains made for the BPL families at BPL issue prices and 15.80 lakh tons of additional allocation made to 16 States for distribution in the poorest districts as per order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and 6.40 lakh tons of food grains allocated for the calamity relief , festivals etc. In addition, 28.93 lakh tons of foodgrains have also been allocated to States/UTs under Other Welfare Schemes. Thus, 600.55 lakh tons of food grains have been allocated by this Department under TPDS and OWS during the current year so far.
TPDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central Government and State Governments/UT Administrations. The Central Government is responsible for procurement, storage and its further allocation to the States/UTs. State Governments/UT Administrations are responsible for lifting the allocated foodgrains and its distribution within the States/UTs and in ensuring the allocated foodgrains reach the targeted beneficiaries, particularly, the vulnerable sections of the population and to put in place an effective mechanism to monitor the same so that no one suffers from hunger and starvation.
(d) & (e): Government has not received information regarding any incident of death due to starvation so far from any State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. |
|
|
