F14-Poverty
In the latest Union budget presented on February 2, there was a deep slash in foodgrain subsidy for the poor, with a massive 63% cut. To achieve this cost-saving measure, the government in December 2022 put an end to the free-food scheme that was rolled out during the COVID-19, rejigged other schemes under the National Food Security Act and rebranded them under the prime minister’s name.
The government’s arguments in the court against expanding the food security programme align with the recommendations of the NITI Aayog. It quoted some of the Aayog’s views in its affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court. Budget numbers show plans to reduce food subsidies by Rs 1,79,844 crore in the next fiscal despite the court’s directive to expand the number of beneficiaries.
The Aayog recommended that the government re-examine whether it is “feasible and desirable” to “continue providing cheaper food grains to nearly two-thirds of the population”, reveal documents.
10/02/2023
On 23rd December 2022, the Union government announced that it would discontinue the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) from January 1, 2023. This means that from January onwards, the ration entitlement of people will be halved- they will be entitled to only 5 kgs ration per person (normal NFSA entitlement) instead of the current 10 kgs ration per person (NFSA+PMGKAY). However, to mask the harshness of the announcement, the government also announced that for one year starting from January 2023 the food grains under National Food Security Act, 2013, (NFSA) will be provided free of cost i.e. the subsidised price of Rs. 3 per kg and Rs. 2 per kg for rice and wheat will be waived off.
A family of five will now be forced to spend Rs. 750-900 per month just in order to access the current level of ration entitlement. They will save only around Rs. 55 on account of the NFSA ration being made free. The halving of ration entitlement and a resulting huge rise in expenditure can in no way be termed ‘historic’. This extremely regressive step is coming at a time when the government has once again started putting out advisories and announcing measures to control another potential wave of COVID.
by Right to Food Campaign
30/12/2022
.
अंतराष्ट्रीय रिपोर्ट से हाहाकार ! पूरा देश दंग रह गया ! गोदी मीडिया में सन्नाटा | PM Modi | BJP-RSS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5cQa_PYuLI
4,458 views Oct 15, 2022
Global Hunger Index 2022: छह पायदान फिसलकर 107वें स्थान पर भारत, श्रीलंका-पाकिस्तान भी हमसे बेहतर https://www.amarujala.com/india-news/global-hunger-index-2022-india-rank-is-107-of-121-countries-news-in-hindi प्रांजुल श्रीवास्तव Sat, 15 Oct 2022
'68% of Indians still earn less than $2/day. About 30% Indians earn less than $1 a day.' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_di0YsP7bQM Sep 11, 2022 'We may be celebrating a little too early' says V Raghunathan, Economist and Author as he shares thoughts in conversation with Sakshi Batra on how India's achievements are largely accounted in absolute terms and not in per capita terms. He believes that India has a long way to go when it comes to improving per capita income even it has overtaken the UK as the fifth-largest economy.