NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday warned the Union Government against hiking the issue price of foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and cutting allocations to beneficiaries. It said the move would impact crores of people and add to inflationary trends.

The ally of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) urged the Government to "reject" the recommendations submitted by the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs on `prudent food management' to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The recommendations are a "serious assault on the public distribution system, food security and self-sufficiency, and a clear violation of the assurances made in the Common Minimum Programme," the party claimed.

The Ministry's proposal recommends a hike in prices of foodgrains for beneficiaries living both above and below the poverty line, cutting down the food grains component in all employment generation schemes and wiping out wheat deficit by removing the food component in wages of certain Central Government employees.

Cautioning the Government against taking such measures, the party said it had opposed this proposal when it was first mooted in January.

"Since then, the prices of essential commodities, including wheat, have skyrocketed. At a time when every measure must be taken to protect the working people, a large majority of whom are in the unorganised sector, such anti-poor recommendations will have a disastrous impact on the livelihood of crores of people."

"Moreover, cuts in the foodgrains component of the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojna and refusal to include food grains in the Rural Employment Guarantee scheme will lower the real wages of those working in such projects," the party added.

The party said State governments may be consulted on replacing some quantity of wheat with rice or coarse grains in the PDS.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail