Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further dependent
Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further dependent
Food security bill first introduced in the year 2009 and was kept on hold until then and now it has been passed by the Lok Sabha. The food security bill aims at providing food to the poorest of the poor at subsidised rates.
For:
- The food security bill is presumed to guarantee pellucidity and liability in the PDS System
- The food security bill will ensure that people get the passable quantity of food grains at affordable prices
- If the food grains are not supplied in time and in the right quantity, the bill ensures certain amount of security allowance attached with it
- In case if any shop dealer is seen to be faulty, then he would be penalised as well
Against:
- The cost of the food security bill to the government will amount to 1,30,000 crore which eventually would be recovered by the tax payers of the country hence increasing the financial burden over the middle class general public
- The food security bill fails on two phases, one on the economic implications and the other on serving the poor and eradicating malnutrition by making food easily available for this purpose
- In spite of investing so much money into this bill, there is no guarantee that it would help the poor, as unless corruption is not taken out of the country, no matter how many bills are passed none of them would work in the favour of the public
- There is no feedback system ensured to know whether the poor are getting the food at the subsidised rates as promised
- After the passing of this bill a number of taxes like VAT, sales tax etc. would be charged from the public and the general mass will have no option but to pay it.
- The costs attached to storage of the food grains would be high and so will be the amount of losses also.
Conclusion:
Because of the extensive costs attached with the bill, it’s going to be taxing for the taxpayers and the general middle class public adding to their financial burden.
Discussion
- RE: Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further dependent -Deepa Kaushik (04/19/14)
- The food security bill aims at helping the poor and needy sections of the society. Though the framed intention is god at the overview, there definitely lies a doubt that how far the needy get benefitted with this bill. Such bills most importantly require a corruption free India. The bills just gets passed on paper in our country, but the actual status of the poor remains the same as all the subsidies are converted to black money by the mid man at various levels.
For a minute, if we keep the corruption point of view beside, still the bill just aims to benefit the poor, whereas the middle class in turn would be forced to carry on the financial burden. We are in a way pulling the middle class down in order to pull up the lower class.
Coming on to the dependency, with the corruption, in practical life, the situation will hardly change even a bit. If at all the poor sections get help with this, they will get eased out with respect to the work. Without regularity in the employment, they will be dependent on the state for their day-to-day needs.
If the government aims to help the needy, they need to create more employment opportunities which could provide more earning hands to support the family.
- RE: Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further dependent -shubhamsinghania (03/08/14)
- hello
in my view the very basis of introducing the food security bill itself has many faults and loopholes .
firstly those who will be included in the scheme will standout and will.lack efforts to do any sort of work to earn living.
secondly in a country like india where corruption is touching sky limit is it possible to trickle down such benefits to the needy.
moreover the cost of such scheme shallbe borne by consumers itself in the form of taxes.
in my view giving food is not the solution to the problem if government takes steps to generate more and more employment especially in rural areas then much canbe improved.
moreover a lot of emphasis should be laid on proper implementation of policies rather than just passing the same.
thankyou - RE: Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further dependent -Rajani Sharma (01/18/14)
- For
• This scheme will make the life of dependents more secure as they will lose the motivation to work to improve their own livelihood after receiving benefits. In order to qualify for the transfer they will deliberately reduce their work efforts.
• The implementation of this bill will increase the number of unemployed in the country. Instead of providing food security, focus should be on creating more jobs for people and better infrastructure facilities in remote areas.
• This bill will reinforce a culture of handouts. It is true that very poorest in the country need help. But there are other better ways of helping them.
• There are chances that this programme could also blunt entrepreneurship and increase the dependency on the state.
• Such bills will also increase corruption in India.
• Instead of curbing poverty this bill will increase it by a huge percentage.
Against
• The amount of food aid which the people will receive through this bill will not be sufficient to cover the food gaps due to the corrupt PDS system. Therefore, they will not be further dependent on this bill to cover their food shortages. They will have to engage in other activities to be able to cover their food needs throughout the year.
• According to economists food security bill may put the development of the agriculture sector at risk.
• Our system is not efficient enough to get the grain to India’s most needy. There is no feedback system which can ensure whether the poor are getting the food at the subsidised rates as promised.
• The law includes higher allocations for vulnerable sections of society such as pregnant mothers and destitute children.
• The cost of the food security bill will increase the financial burden over the middle class people.
• There are many economic implications in implementing the bill.
