Question

What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government?

Answer 1

Two important components devised by the Governments – the Public Distribution System and Buffer Stock, play an important role in ensuring food security to the poor.

Buffer Stock

• The stock of foodgrains acquired through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by the Government is known as buffer stock. Mainly rice and wheat are procured.
• Granaries are used to store the food grains that are purchased.
• The government uses this buffer stock to distribute the food grains to poorer sections of the society at lower than the market price which is also known as the issue price.
• Buffer stocks help in solving the problem of food shortage during calamities and when weather conditions are adverse.
• To give incentives to the farmers to raise crop production, the Government declares the Minimum Support Price (MSP) before the beginning of the sowing season.
• When the FCI purchases the foodgrains from the farmers with surplus production, they are paid a pre-announced price.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the term used to describe the pre-announced price that is paid to the farmers.

Public Distribution System – Important Food Security Programme

• To distribute the food grains among the poorer section of the society, the Government uses the Government regulated ration shops.
• This system is known as the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Most of the cities, towns, villages, and localities have ration shops.
• Items from the ration shops are sold at a price lesser than the market price.
• Fair price shop is the other name for a ration shop.
• Examples of items stored in ration shops are kerosene used for cooking, sugar, and food grains.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) – Important Food Security Programme

• In December 2000, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) was launched by the Government.
• One crore of the poorest among Below Poverty Line (BPL) families were recognized and covered under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
• As per this scheme rice and wheat were provided at highly subsidized rates of Rs 3 per kg and Rs 2 per kg respectively.
• Each family received twenty-five kg of foodgrains.
• It was further increased to 35 Kg from April 2002.
• Later on more BPL families were added and the total number of families covered was 2 crore.