Karnataka - Gulbarga   

`Extend PDS benefits to all'

Special Correspondent

There is no transparency in the selection of beneficiaries, says Manpade

Maruti Manpade

GULBARGA: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday demanded that the Union Government take steps to extend the benefits of the Public Distribution System (PDS) to all families irrespective of their economic background. Member of the party's State Secretariat Maruti Manpade told presspersons here that target-oriented distribution of ration cards to families coming under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category had many drawbacks and several deserving poor families were deprived of the benefits of the PDS.

He said there was no transparency in the selection of beneficiaries. The annual income of Rs 12,000 fixed by the Government for ration cards was unscientific. The annual income limit should be increased to Rs. 25,000 to enable many poor families to get the benefits of PDS. Criticising the Union Government for its "indifferent approach" to the problems faced by farmers, Mr. Manpade attributed the suicides by farmers to the "anti-farmer" policies pursued by the successive governments and the reduction in subsidies given to the agriculture sector. The Government should create a separate fund for payment of compensation to farmers who had lost their crops because of floods and poor rainfall. It should create a revolving fund for market intervention when prices of farm produce crashed in the wholesale market. Apart from this, it should bring in changes in the crop insurance scheme and reduce the premium to be paid by farmers.

He said the party had launched a 10-day awareness campaign to highlight the "anti-poor" policies of the Government. In Gulbarga, party's Central Committee member Sunil Chopra would participate in the rally on August 21.

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