In a significant move, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has formed an expert group chaired by the chief of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, C. Rangarajan, to examine the recommendations of Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council on the proposed food security Bill.
The move surprised members of the council who met here on Friday to discuss the draft of the National Food Security Bill (or the National Food Entitlements Bill, 2010, as proposed by the NAC working group) which translates into legal jargon its decisions taken on October 25. The expert group appointed by Dr. Singh would examine the very decisions, making some of the members wonder whether they should continue with the exercise.
Members of the Dr. Rangarajan-led group include Chief Economic Adviser to Finance Ministry Kaushik Basu; Expenditure Secretary Sushma Nath; Agriculture Secretary P.K. Basu; Food Secretary B.C. Gupta; a representative from the Planning Commission and the Registrar-General of India. The panel is expected to give its views in a month.
NAC members were informed of the appointment of the ‘expert group' during the meeting.
Sonia's letter
The members were also told about a letter written by Ms. Gandhi to Dr. Singh on the need to synergise a Rural Development Ministry survey to identify households on socio-economic parameters with the all-India Caste Census to begin in June next year. The idea is to ensure mandatory inclusion of categories such as Dalits, tribals, the disabled, single women and their dependents, widows, the elderly, destitute and homeless.
There was much debate in the NAC meeting on suggestions to include all Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the “mandatory priority” category for the Public Distribution System (PDS) in rural areas. According to one member, this would raise the minimum coverage of priority groups (currently called Below Poverty Line) in rural areas from 46 per cent (that the NAC has recommended for coverage as BPL) to about 53.5 per cent with an additional foodgrains requirement of about five per cent. The working group would work out the formulation on this and come back in the next meeting.
Change in title?
Interestingly, the draft suggests that the title of the Bill be changed from National Food Security Bill to National Food Entitlements Bill, 2010 as food security would cover several things beyond food such as agriculture, sanitation, potable water, which were not enforceable and would fall under enabling provisions.
A significant feature of the draft Bill is setting up an autonomous National Food Commission and State Food Commissions for overseeing implementation and with powers for grievance redress and enforcement of penalties.
Working group convener Harsh Mander made a presentation of the draft bill to the NAC. Members will now come back with their comments and observations in the next meeting of the council slated for December 21.
Communal Violence Bill
The Council also reviewed the progress on the Communal Violence Bill through a presentation made by convener Farah Naqvi.
A working group with Narendra Jadhav as the convener was formed to look at issues regarding De-notified and Nomadic Tribes.
It was also decided that the NAC working group on Transparency and Accountability, convened by Aruna Roy, will examine the proposed amendments to Rules under the Right to Information Act.
Even as the NAC met, members of the Right to Food Campaign held a demonstration outside its office demanding universal PDS, agriculture revitalisation and PDS reforms. They also presented to NAC members a memorandum of their demands addressed to Ms. Gandhi.
