Why in News ?
Only 33 per cent of free food grains and 56 per cent of free gram (whole), allocated for migrants under the Atma-nirbhar Bharat package, have actually reached the intended beneficiaries, shows data available with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Food grain allocation for migrants not proper.
What is the issue ?
- Out of 8 lakh tonnes of food grains allocated for the migrants, 6.38 lakh tonnes (80 per cent) was lifted by the states and Union Territories but only 2.64 lakh tonnes (33 per cent) could be distributed to intended beneficiaries in the last four months.
- Central government announced free food grains for two months to migrants who were neither beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act NFSA nor had a ration card in the state they were stationed in.
- Under the scheme, each such migrant family was to be provided with 5 kg of food grains per month for May and June.
- Later, states were given two more months July and August to distribute the already lifted food grains.
- However,till August 31, all the states and Union Territories have been able to distribute only 41 per cent of 6.38 lakh tonnes of food grains they had lifted under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package.
- 26 out of 36 states and Union Territories have lifted 100 per cent of food grains with respect to their allocations,
- Only four states Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland and Odisha have reported 100 percent distribution of food grains among the beneficiaries.
Implication of low distribution
Identification of beneficiaries and allocation are the major problems in the distribution system. PDS faces nearly 61% error of exclusion that leads to mis-classification.
The allocation will ease the hardships faced by the migrants due to the economic disruption caused by the corona virus pandemic. But it is seen that a large number of migrants were unidentified and not getting the benefits.
Poor implementation of the package. Many worker still do not unaware of the benefits provided leads to missing of the schemes intention.
Source : Indian Express
Topic
GS II : Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management
Current Affairs Compilation : 2 September 2020