The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Food for work

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Thursday, Jun 17, 2004

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Food for work

Sir, — Sushma Ramachandran is right when she writes (June 14) that the shortcomings of the earlier food-for-work programmes should be ironed out in the context of the implementation of the United Progressive Alliance Government's Common Minimum Programme. The most serious flaw in the programme so far was the absence of an adequate cash component in the wages payable per man-day to the participating poor. In fact, payment of wages fully in foodgrains and without any cash component is what leads to corruption in this programme and not the other way round as the author suspects. For example, the guidelines in this programme in Andhra Pradesh as implemented these two years had untenable options such as 10 kg of rice without any cash or 8 kg of rice with Rs. 5 a manday as wages. Now a family needs about 2.5 kg of grains a day and what is it supposed to do with rest of the grain? Also, how do we satisfy the other basic non-cereal and non-food needs the poor have without a cash component? A balanced combination of cash-kind wage together equalling the stipulated minimum wage, where the food component does not exceed 2.5 kg of cereals, is the correct answer if we are to ensure both nutritional value and real wages to the poor. No rural food-for-work programme can be implemented with out incurring costs of transport and strict surveillance and the Centre has to provide this to the States if it is to plan a credible employment guarantee scheme that minimises leakages.

K.R. Venugopal,
Special Rapporteur,
National Human Rights Commission

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