BPL families protest against ‘cash for food’ in Delhi

Barefoot Filipino kids hold bowls as they line up for free food given by a non-government group at Manila's slum district of Tondo, Philippines, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009. About a third of the Philippine population of 90 million wallow in poverty, living on less than $2 a day, according to officials. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) NICAID:111025116

The Below Poverty Line (BPL) families living in jhuggi jhonpri clusters, slums areas and unauthorised colonies held demonstrations at R.K. Puram, Uttam Nagar and Peeragarhi on Friday, as part of a programme to protest against the “cash for food” proposal of the Delhi Government.

The protesters, who came together under the banner of Delhi Shramik Sangathan, said the Delhi Government had proposed to the Planning Commission a scheme for providing Rs.1,100 in cash to BPL families instead of ration and kerosene oil. They decried this scheme saying it went against the basic objective to provide subsidised food to the needy and poor families.

During the protests, about 300 affected poor families assembled and formed human chains from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The protesters said the income criteria for identifying BPL families needs to be changed as it is very old and unrealistic and half of the minimum wages of Delhi.

Noting that as per the Arjun Sen Gupta committee report about 80 per cent of the country’s population needs subsidised food from the Public Distribution System (PDS), the Sangathan also demanded abolition of categorisation of ration cards as it has divided the poor and left many out of its purview of the welfare schemes. At present every BPL family is provided 22 litres of kerosene, six kg of sugar, 25 kg of flour and 10 kg of rice through the PDS.

Sangathan convener Anita Juneja said another reason for the protest was that while the scheme would place Rs.1,100 in the hands of every family, it does not cushion them against rise in prices of commodities in future. “There was a time when sugar in the market and ration shops would sell for Rs.13.50 per kg, but now the price in the market has shot up while the ration price remains the same,’’ she said to illustrate the point.

Another question, she said, was who will control this money and to what use will it be put. “At present women go to the fair price shop to collect food grain and kerosene oil but once this scheme is implemented, the slum women fear that the money might be used for other purposes by the men.’’