New Delhi: The battle to provide food security took an interesting turn after the apex court vested itself with a supervisory role in the ongoing computerization of the public distribution system (PDS), currently behind schedule.
Accordingly, it directed the topmost bureaucrat in the food ministry—food secretary Bhushan Chander Gupta—to not only monitor the PDS computerization, but also submit monthly updates to the Supreme Court.
The court was hearing the long-standing public interest case on the right to food filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties in which the government’s inefficiencies in managing food distribution have been exposed on multiple occasions.
To improve better targeting and prevent leakages, computerization of PDS has been proffered as a solution.
“The government of India has taken massive steps to provide food to the poor. For effective implementation, computerization is absolutely imperative,” observed a bench comprising justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Misra.
In a submission to the apex court, the Union government sought to deflect the blame for the slow pace of computerization onto states. Arguing that state governments had failed to move to eliminate bogus ration cards, the Centre requested the court to direct the states to employ an amnesty scheme for two months. “And after two months, a surprise and selective inspection will be done by an independent agency,” the Centre said in its written submission.
N.C. Saxena, a member of the National Advisory Council, which sets the social agenda for the United Progressive Alliance government, said it is a good idea to expedite computerization of PDS as it will help check leakages and use of bogus ration cards.
“It is also good that the Supreme Court has stepped in to monitor this so that implementation is fast. With issuance of smart cards, computerization will further facilitate that foodgrains reach the targeted section and pilferage is minimized,” said Saxena.
nikhil.k@livemint.com