NSSO surveys show that the
proportion of hungry people fell from 15.3%
in 1983 to 2% in 2004. By now, it is probably 1%. So, forget the
notion that hungry Indians are crying out for cheap grain.
Per-capita consumption of cereals has fallen steadily in all income
groups, including the poorest. They are shifting to superior foods:
proteins, milk and tea.
NDA government has launched the Antyodaya programme for the very
poorest back in 2000, providing wheat at 2 and rice at 3 per kg. The
Bill simply repeats the dose - nothing new at all for the poorest.
-Arvind Panagariya and Jagdish Bhagwati's book India's Tryst with
Destiny reveals that WHO norms for malnutrition, widely cited by other
economists like Amartya Sen, are laughably faulty.
-The last National Family Health Survey showed that, by WHO norms, 15%
of even Indian elite children were stunted! Kerala's life expectancy
is 74 years and infant mortality is 12 per-thousand births.
-Senegal, Africa, has life expectancy of 61 years and infant mortality
of 51 per-thousand births. Yet, according to WHO norms, 25% of
Kerala's children are stunted against only 20% in Senegal. Ridiculous!
Indians are just shorter than Africans, not more "stunted".
-Indians do indeed suffer from very high levels of anaemia, even among
the richest, one-third. Pregnant mothers and children suffer from
protein shortages. If drinking water is unclean and bacterial, people
cannot absorb additional calories even if fed more food.
-Clearly, better nutrition requires clean drinking water more than
cheap cereals. It also needs additional protein, iron and vitamins.
These could be supplied through ultra-cheap soybean flour fortified
with iron and vitamins.
-But solving malnutrition this way will not get many votes. Sonia
Gandhi would rather seek more votes through a subsidy covering
two-thirds of all voters. Hence the Bill.
-Many states already provide cereals more cheaply than the Bill. Tamil
Nadu provides 20 kg of free rice to poor families.
-Other southern states provide rice at 1 per kg. Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh and Rajasthan are going to have state elections, and all three
now offer wheat or rice at 1 per kg.
-So, in several states, the additional subsidy of the Bill will not
mean cheaper food for consumers, simply less subsidy at the state
level.
-Forget all rhetoric about the Bill being a pathbreaker. Advocates say
people now have a legal right to food. Really? So everybody turned
back by a ration shop is going to register a police case? And the
courts will hear all these cases though they don't have the time to
deal with murder and rape in less than 10 years? Fantasy!
Source ..............AKHILESH MISHRA & BJP Team
in 1983 to 2% in 2004. By now, it is probably 1%. So, forget the
notion that hungry Indians are crying out for cheap grain.
Per-capita consumption of cereals has fallen steadily in all income
groups, including the poorest. They are shifting to superior foods:
proteins, milk and tea.
NDA government has launched the Antyodaya programme for the very
poorest back in 2000, providing wheat at 2 and rice at 3 per kg. The
Bill simply repeats the dose - nothing new at all for the poorest.
-Arvind Panagariya and Jagdish Bhagwati's book India's Tryst with
Destiny reveals that WHO norms for malnutrition, widely cited by other
economists like Amartya Sen, are laughably faulty.
-The last National Family Health Survey showed that, by WHO norms, 15%
of even Indian elite children were stunted! Kerala's life expectancy
is 74 years and infant mortality is 12 per-thousand births.
-Senegal, Africa, has life expectancy of 61 years and infant mortality
of 51 per-thousand births. Yet, according to WHO norms, 25% of
Kerala's children are stunted against only 20% in Senegal. Ridiculous!
Indians are just shorter than Africans, not more "stunted".
-Indians do indeed suffer from very high levels of anaemia, even among
the richest, one-third. Pregnant mothers and children suffer from
protein shortages. If drinking water is unclean and bacterial, people
cannot absorb additional calories even if fed more food.
-Clearly, better nutrition requires clean drinking water more than
cheap cereals. It also needs additional protein, iron and vitamins.
These could be supplied through ultra-cheap soybean flour fortified
with iron and vitamins.
-But solving malnutrition this way will not get many votes. Sonia
Gandhi would rather seek more votes through a subsidy covering
two-thirds of all voters. Hence the Bill.
-Many states already provide cereals more cheaply than the Bill. Tamil
Nadu provides 20 kg of free rice to poor families.
-Other southern states provide rice at 1 per kg. Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh and Rajasthan are going to have state elections, and all three
now offer wheat or rice at 1 per kg.
-So, in several states, the additional subsidy of the Bill will not
mean cheaper food for consumers, simply less subsidy at the state
level.
-Forget all rhetoric about the Bill being a pathbreaker. Advocates say
people now have a legal right to food. Really? So everybody turned
back by a ration shop is going to register a police case? And the
courts will hear all these cases though they don't have the time to
deal with murder and rape in less than 10 years? Fantasy!
Source ..............AKHILESH MISHRA & BJP Team
No comments:
Post a Comment