Regular surveys needed to identify genuine poor: Navjot Singh Sidhu

GS Paul

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 1

Former Congress minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has questioned the Centre’s roadmap for extending benefits to the poor under the Food Security Act and streamlining the functioning of the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

In a tweet, he insisted that regular surveys and update of the data of poor strata had to be done on the lines of updating of voters’ list annually.

The Centre had set up a high-level committee in August 2014 with Shanta Kumar as chairman, six members and a special invitee to suggest restructuring or unbundling of the FCI with a view to improve its operational efficiency and financial management.

The National Food Security Act recommended that 67 per cent people could be considered under below poverty line (BPL) and should be given benefits of subsidised essential grains under the public distribution system (PDS).

In a separate video message, the lawmaker raised finger over the validity of the Shanta committee that had recommended reducing the BPL category under the Food Security Act from 67 per cent to 40 per cent in 2015.

He emphasised that the government’s priority should be to know about the ‘genuine poor’ rather than arbitrarily decreasing the number. The last survey conducted in 2011 was the basis of Shanta panel’s observations whereas the population kept on increasing in due course.

Find solution to farm crisis

On farmers’ cause, the MLA opined that the state government should take steps to neutralise the three laws enacted by the Centre. However, he said it was uncertain if the Punjab Governor could help achieve this goal