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AIDWA takes umbrage at Pawar's statement

Special Correspondent

Linking the public distribution system with import of wheat

JAIPUR: The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has condemned the statement of Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar linking the public distribution system (PDS) and the depletion in foodgrain stocks, which has led to the need for import of wheat. "This is the worst kind of prevarication as the rising prices of wheat and other cereals is directly related to the disastrous agricultural policies being implemented by the Central Government," it said.

The Central Executive Committee of AIDWA in a resolution passed here took umbrage at the observation by Mr. Pawar that had the decision of the United Progressive Alliance Government to cut the quotas and increase PDS food grain prices, the import of wheat— now made necessary in order to check prices— could have been avoided. "It is shameful and intolerable that UPA Government wants to save Rs.4500 crores by cutting entitlement of Below Poverty Line and Antyodaya families and by increasing Above Poverty Line prices," the resolution said.

"AIDWA will launch big struggles to protect food security of women in the country," AIDWA president Subhashini Ali said briefing newspersons here on Monday at the end of the two-day CEC meeting. "From the level of 3 crore tons of food grain stocks in the country we have reached a situation in which the Food Minister is talking about import of wheat". Though the highly "retrograde and cruel move" by Mr. Pawar in the past was stalled by the strong protests from the Left, the Minister was making no secret of his determination to implement his plan at a later date, she charged.

"This is the result of gross mismanagement. From a position in which stocks were overflowing in government godowns we reached this situation after the Centre exporting wheat at lower than BPL prices," Ms. Ali noted.

As the per capita consumption of food grains had declined in the country to the levels of pre-Independence days the need was to universalize PDS. The Central Government must substantially increase allocations for food subsidy in the forthcoming Union Budget, she demanded. Ms.Ali sought curbs on the State Governments, which collected the PDS grains and sold them to the flourmills.

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