Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked her party chief ministers to roll out the ambitious food security scheme as soon as possible, and implement it in "letter and spirit". The scheme will be the party's main plank in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, which the party is set to lose unless the BJP flounders again and again.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was present at the meeting along with prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior Cabinet ministers, is learnt to have said the issue of malnutrition should also be addressed, and suggested the inclusion of a "nutritional component". Sources said the food ministry has decided to make pulses and edible oil a component of the public distribution system soon to address nutritional security. The ministry will write to states asking them to either import the pulses and oil needed or procure them locally. Many opposition-ruled states supply pulses, edible oils, iodised salt and spices at subsidized prices, while the new pet scheme does not speak about it.
Despite the urgency on display and the fact that starting next week, Congress spokespersons are set to travel to states to hold workshops and address the media to popularise the food security scheme, the party insisted that elections were not in the picture. "Don't link this ordinance with the elections. We have been saying that the issue of food security should not be looked at from the prism of politics," AICC communication department in-charge Ajay Maken said. A meeting of state Congress chiefs and leaders of Congress legislature parties will be convened later this month.
Sonia and the PM told chief ministers that food security is a commitment from 2009 that needed to be kept at any cost. The clear message is that there should be no laxity in its implementation. The PM indicated some minor changes could be made when the bill to replace the ordinance comes to Parliament. Chief ministers Sheila Dikshit of Delhi and Bhupinder Singh Hooda of Haryana said they are ready to roll out the scheme on August 20, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said he is also ready to implement the scheme soon.
In her introductory remarks, Sonia described food security as a historic initiative similar to the Right to Information and NREGA, and asked the chief ministers to ensure that "nobody sleeps hungry". Rahul wanted special attention for the Northeastern states, where transport costs are higher and storage facilities inadequate. He asked whether the overall subsidy burden, projected at Rs 1.35 trillion now, would increase after the full rollout of the scheme, and stressed on the need to increase foodgrains production.
Around 62 million tonne grain are projected to be required for the scheme. The Centre currently procures around 60 million tonne annually. The CMs were told to strengthen the public distribution system and increase storage capacity. Several party general secretaries and chief ministers spoke about the poor state of PDS
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