Dreze leads food movement in Maoist-affected Latehar

RANCHI: Developmental economist Jean Dreze, who has co-authored with Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on the issue of famine, led a movement against hunger in Maoist-affected Manika block of Latehar district on Friday. Dreze, who has been working extensively in the state for the past several years, taking up issues like MGNREGA and food security, urged the villagers to call for the effective implementation of the Food Security Act (FSA), 2013 so that the state is prepared with the ground work by the time it comes into force across the country.Set to be introduced on July 5, the launch has been deferred by the Centre by three months.
Leading the procession that began from Manika High School grounds and concluded at block office, Dreze said people in Jharkhand are going to be benefited by the new act because 86% of the rural populace in the state would qualify for wheat at the rate of Rs 2 per kg and rice at the rate of Rs 3 per kg. "As per the provisions of the act, children upto 14 years would be entitled to nutritious food through schools and anganwadi centres, apart from pregnant and new mothers being given a monetary support of Rs 6000 each to meet their nutritional requirements," he said.
Dreze also questioned the unpreparedness of the state government on the occasion. He said the entitlement of families would be decided on the basis of social economic and caste census (SECC) data, which is yet to be completed in Jharkhand. "SECC data in Jharkhand is available for seven of the 24 districts and unless the data is available, the list for new ration cards cannot be prepared. Until such time, people will be denied their right to food," he said.
The activists from NREGA Sahayta Kendra Manika, Gram Swaraj Kendra and several other social outfits said in Latehar ration is being distributed to people on the basis of BPL cards, some of which were issued way back in 1997. Revision of BPL list and issuance of new ration cards has been pending here since the formation of Jharkhand as a separate state. Raising slogans of ?Godaam kholo anaaj baanto' (open up the godowns and distribute food grains), when the agitators reached Manika ration stock house, workers deployed their fled fearing a violent outburst.