Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Dec 21, 2007
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Dec 21, 2007 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Industry & Economy
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Social Welfare Government - States Chidambaram seeks States’ help to make PDS effective Our Bureau New Delhi, Dec. 20 The Union Government incurs Rs 3.65 to transfer Re 1 worth of foodgrains to the poor under the public distribution system (PDS). This has emerged in the recent evaluation study on Targeted PDS undertaken by the Programme Evaluation Organisation, the Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, said here on Wednesday. In his intervention at the National Development Council (NDC) meeting, Mr Chidambaram urged the State Governments to help the Union Government set right both sides of the PDS, procurement and distribution, stating that a well-functioning PDS was critical for maintaining price stability of food articles. The Finance Minister highlighted that 58 per cent of the subsidised grains do not reach the target group, of which a little over 36 per cent was siphoned off the supply chain. Efficient PDSStating that availability of food and the rise in food prices was a grave challenge for India and many countries of the world, Mr Chidambaram said that many observers have pointed out that the era of cheap food prices was over and that in the changed context the relevance of an efficient PDS cannot be over emphasised. “We need a PDS for the poor, but unless it is efficient, procures adequate quantities of foodgrains and delivers food to the poor, the PDS could become an albatross around our neck and an opportunity for rent seekers to enrich themselves,” he said. The Finance Minister appealed to the wheat and paddy producing States to procure and contribute their fair share of food grains to the Central Pool.
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