Shekhawat reprimands govt over PDS failure

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Sharing the members' concern over the failure of the public distribution system (PDS) to serve the poor, Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today (Mar 10, 2006) asked the Government to take the issue seriously instead of just giving assurances to the House.

''You have assured the House so many times, and it was now high time that you took the matter seriously so that the poor are assured of at least two square meals a day,'' said Mr Shekhawat when Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's answer failed to satisfy the members on the issue during the question hour.

The members wanted the government to come out clear on what concrete measures were being taken to check the large-scale diversion of the subsidised foodgrains meant for those below poverty line (BPL).

The issue was raised by Mr Vijay Darda who had asked if it was a fact that main recipients of subsidy were surplus producing farmers of five states from where procurement was done at the prices set by government, and also what were the reasons that the subsidised grain had failed to reach the BPL families.

Members like Mr Sharad Yadav, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad and others, cutting across party lines, underlined the failure of the goverment to make the PDS work in favour of the poor.

Mr Pawar, in his answer, admitted to large scale diversion of PDS foodgrains, with 100 per cent diversion reported from the North-East and about 81 per cent from states like Bihar.

He, however, said the government had asked the states to streamline the PDS and also assured the House that the Centre was going to start a process of tri-monthly review of the system.

However, his answers failed to satisfy members and also Chairman Shekhawat, provoking him to advise the Minister to take the issue more seriously and take stern and practical measures to ensure food for the poor.

UNI