Question

What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government.

Accepted Answer

Food security is provided by:

Maintaining a buffer stock of foodgrains: The government purchases wheat and rice from surplus states like Punjab and Haryana through FCI and stores them to use in emergencies. These are supplied to the poor at lower rates.

Public Distribution System (PDS): Foodgrains are made available to the public at subsidised rates through Fair Price or Ration Shops.

Different poverty alleviation programmes: Mid-Day Meal, Integrated Child Development Services, Antoyodaya Anna Yojana, Rural Wage Employment Programme, National Food for Work Programme, etc.

i) Antoyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) - This scheme was launched in December $2000$ and about two crore families were benefited. Under this, families below the poverty line are identified through PDS and $35$ kg of foodgrains (earlier $25$ Kg), are made available at highly subsidised rates.

ii) National Food for Work Programme (NFWP): This was launched on November $14$ , $2004$ , by the Ministry of Rural Development in the majority of India's backward districts. This is for rural people who are willing to do unskilled labour and are provided with money or food grains as per their choice.

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