An umbrella in the rain - PDS and the poor

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 An umbrella in the rain - PDS and the poor

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• Monsoon arriving: Rainy season is usually the hardest for poor, rural families of India. The lockdown has depleted food reserves of millions of households, and Kharif harvest is months away. Even with MGNREGA, many will face food insecurity.
• Doubling of ration: Since April 2020, PDS rations were doubled for 3 months, and a lot of it actually reached many poor households. So, that doubling must be extended for another 3 months from July onwards. With giant food stocks, India can do it easily (8 crore tonnes central pool stock on 30-04-2020)
• Ration cards issue: The ration cards issued under NFSA (National Food Security Act) have not reached 50 cr people (some of whom may have state cards), and due to clerical errors, many poor too are out (in addition to middle classes). Best thing now is to issue ration cards to all left-out in rural areas and urban slums.
• Poorest states of India: Many Eastern states have not been hit hard by coronavirus, and so escaped the policymakers' attention on additional PDS coverage. But they are in a tight spot.

1. Poorest states have large number of poor who just survive. Bihar may have the highest concentration of extremely poor in the world. If unemployment continues like today, disaster!
2. Poorest states will bear the maximum burden of the economic crisis. Richer states' local workers may benefit as migrants have left. Poorer states will be hit hard with the swollen labour pool, hurting their own local workers.
3. COVID-19 is yet to hit the poorest states. Virus is slowly reaching eastern India, and in high density states like Bihar, things can go really bad. Health systems are bad there. 
4. Most poor states are financially broke. Jharkhand's taxes have dropped by 70%, and govt. is unable to pay salaries in time. Centre has allowed more borrowing (FRBM relaxation) but that is linked to tough reforms. Relief efforts are being hit badly.

• Special support: Poorest states must be given all support right now, and universalising the PDS won't be too costly anyway. Rural Jharkhand has 86% PDS coverage today, and only 1.2 lakh tonnes foodgrain is needed to make it 100 per cent. But a recent request was rejected!
• Rejecting all appeals: Till date, Centre has rejected all appeals for constructive use of central foodgrain stocks. It will be a do or die situation for the poorest in the poorest states soon.

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