The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) has demanded enactment of a universal food security bill and involvement of women at every stage of framing the food policy and its implementation.
In a statement here, it opposed the proposed Food Security Bill as it would not only “snatch away the existing entitlements” of the poor but also cause “food insecurity.”
The Bill guaranteed just 25 kg. of wheat or rice for Rs. 3 per kg. per month, that too for a limited number of below poverty line families and envisaged rise in the prices of the food grains for those above the poverty line, the statement said.
Demanding a universal food security bill, the federation said the government should ensure that the food grains distributed under the proposed Act should be healthy and nutritious. It should be made a statutory obligation of the government to ensure that nutritious and safe food was available in the public distribution system for a lesser price. In the name of food security, the government should not distribute genetically modified products through the PDS.
The NFIW sought strict control and monitoring of national and international corporate houses and steps to prevent patenting of food and seeds. Emphasis must be put on procuring food grains which are locally produced, environmentally safe and culturally appropriate.
