Public Hearing in Raipur shows a grim picture of the best Public Distribution System in India; 2,34,000 eligible families excluded from the PDS list in Chhattisgarh:

At the packed Town Hall in Raipur, Samir Garg, State Advisor to the Supreme Court Commissioner in the Right to Food Case presented the results of a survey, facilitated by Oxfam India, to assess whether the PDS verification drive in Chhattisgarh had actually excluded the neediest. The study was conducted in 13 districts (Jagdalpur, Kanker, Dhamtari, Mahasamuh, Raipur, Janjgir, Korba, Kawardha, Bilaspur, Sarguja, Jashpur, Koriya, Raigad) and 126 Gram Panchayats in 31 blocks where a total of 927 families who were excluded from the PDS list post the verification drive were interviewed. The survey showed that only 13% of the cancellations were as per one or more criterion laid by the state government. The rest 87% of the families despite being eligible for PDS were removed from the list, many of who are on the brink of starvation and destitution.

This study was conducted as part of the State level Public Hearing on Food Security issues by Oxfam India, 18 Voluntary Organisations and Sangathans in Chhattisgarh and the Right to Food Campaign which was held in Raipur on 10^th Oct 2011. Out of the 70 separate case studies collected from across the state on Food Security, many testimonies were presented in front of an eminent jury panel consisting of Biraj Patnaik (National Advisor to the Supreme Court Commissioner in the Right to Food Case), Sharad Chandra Behar (Retd IAS officer and former Chief Secretary to the government of Madhya Pradesh) and Sachin Jain (MP state Advisor to the Supreme Court Commissioner in the Right to Food Case) and representatives from the state government such as Rajiv Jaiswal (Jt Director – State Ministry of Food & Civil Supplies), Som Shekhar (Technical Director of NIC) and R.C. Gulati (Asst Food Officer of Raipur).

The testimonials were representational of various issues such as exclusion of several vulnerable categories like Dalits, widowed and deserted women, Primitive Tribal Groups and handicapped people from the PDS list during the verification drive, communities who have been displaced due to setting up of Wildlife Sanctuaries in the State and non functioning of ICDS and Midday Meals in various schools. Oxfam India’s partner Jan Swasthya Sahyog, presented an acute reality where most children between 6 months and 5 years in Bilaspur district are suffering from severe malnutrition. The reasons for this are linked to poverty and also the existing PDS which allows for only rice and no extra nutrition vital for children of this age. Lack of aanganwadi in schools and hence ICDS packages are adding to the numbers every year.

The jury members and government representatives heard out all the testimonials patiently in the six hours long event. Biraj Patnaik emphasized that all 2,34,000 excluded ration cards should be re-instated in the PDS list. Sharad Chandra Behar, at the end of the hearings, said that verification of ration cards was not planned holistically by the government. He recommended that a child should get nutritious food from birth to death and also emphasized that it is not about eradicating hunger but growing well as just rice is simply not enough. All ration cards should include dal, oil and other basic needs at low cost. Sachin Jain was of the view that the verification process has been corrupt and this has not only taken away a person’s right to food but also education and health.

Rajiv Jaiswal representing the state government was thankful of all the efforts taken by civil society, government and communities which have helped in reforming the PDS. He agreed that the PDS system in the state needs to improve and said, ‘if poor have been denied ration cards then it needs to be corrected. If you think any genuine case has been neglected, please register complaint and I assure you that we will address these issues’.  

Story and photo credit: Bipasha Majumdar