Pawar rejects demand for universal rationing system

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Pawar today said that it would be difficult to accept the demand of some states for Universal rationing system and expressed concern over diversion of subsidised foodgrains given to states.

Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, he said the policy of the Centre was to give the benefit of rationing to the poorest of the poor coming under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.

Mr Pawar took strong exception to diversion of foodgrains supplied by the Centre to states for distribution under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and the Antyodaya Anna Yojana.

Pointing out that 40 per cent of the foodgrains given to the states at subsidised rates for distrubution through PDS network had been substantially diverted at the national level, he said the government would take appropriate action to check this.

In this context, he pointed out that diversion of PDS foodgrains was cent per cent in some of the North Eastern sates. ''I have written to the Chief Ministers of these states and warned them of stopping supply of foodgrains if the diversion continues.'' The Minister said the issue of diversion had been discussed in five regional conferences with the state governments during 2005-06.

The issue was later discussed at the Food Ministers Conferene in March last year.

The participating states were asked to take necessary immediate steps to strengthen the TPDS and curb diversion and leakage. On the basis of the discussions, the ministry had drawn up a nine-point Action Plan and sent it to all state governments for taking necessary action.

Replying to another set of questions, Mr Pawar said the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had good overall storage capacity to store foodgrains. In fact, capacity utilisation as on January this year was only 46 per cent. There was, however, shortage in storage capacity in Jammu and Kashmir and North East.

To a supplementary, he said India had imported 1.6 million tonnes of pulses during 2005-06 as against 1.3 million during the previous year.

The import of pulses was mainly from Australia, China, USA, Canada, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, France, Tanzania and Ukraine.

Relying to another supplementary, Mr Pawar said 22.4 million households were benefited under the Antyodaya Ana Yojana.

UNI