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As part of its remit to undertake sectoral status to determine the focused areas for action, the Planning Commission has announced the setting up of two working groups — one on foodgrains with a specific remit to balance the demand and supply during the Twelfth Plan (2012-17) and another on reforms in the public distribution system (PDS) and better targeting of food subsidies.
Official sources told Business Line that the working group on foodgrains would have as Chairman the Secretary in the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, with Secretaries of Food, Punjab and Maharashtra and the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and senior officials drawn from the Agriculture and Food Ministries as other Members, including the Director, National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research.
The Group's terms of reference include assessing the demand and supply of foodgrains during the 12th Plan period, keeping in view the proposed National Food Security Bill and examining the procurement policies concerning foodgrains to suggest measures.
In the case of the working group on reforms in PDS and better targeting of food subsidies during the 12th Plan period, the members include Chairman, Food Corporation of India, Director, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and other senior officials drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Food & Public distribution, besides the Secretaries of Food Department of Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Secretary in the Department of Food & Public Distribution would be the Chairman of this group.
Among others, the working group on reforms in PDS would review the performance of the targeted public distribution system and suggest measures for reforms in TPDS, besides assessing and recommending suggestions for toning up the storage capacity of foodgrains for the 12th Plan with special stress on the North Eastern region.
It would also suggest measures for rationalising and better targeting of food subsidies and assess the coverage of commodities supplied under TDPS, keeping in view the nutritional concerns and the need for providing essential items to public at affordable prices.
Both the Working Groups are mandated to submit their report by July 29, 2011.
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