Food Security Bill – No need to beat the drums yet!!

As war of words flies between UPA and Modi camp, how big a deal really is the Food security bill?

Well, pretty big deal if you see the dent on the exchequer – over 1 lac crores but what about the impact on the voter? I have my doubts about that.

If you see UPA’s last time election stunt – NREGA : it was simply awesome. Not in the sense that it created any kind of employment or any genuine economic upliftment of people. No, not at all. But giving people “cash” on a monthly basis – that is a “never fail” tactic. It is a sure shot election winner.

But food security bill is a bit of an old wine in a new bottle. People already have these so called BPL cards through which grains are available to them in ration shops at cheap rates. Food security bill makes the same available a rupee or two cheaper.  I don’t think it sounds all that great to a voter and so it may not be that big an election winner as UPA might be imagining.

Now, if you gave people free color TVs as was done in Tamil Nadu, that is good vote winner. If you give them mobile phones or cash – as was done in Mexico (and people were asked to take the photo of the voter card on their mobiles to be eligible for the cash), that is an election winner. NREGA was also basically just cash distribution as salary for ill defined or undefined work which essentially means no work i.e. “free salary”. UPA got that bang on. But Food security bill??

While all sort of arguments fly about implementation of these schemes and that somehow they fail to reach the neediest, the main issue is that this is not going to be an election winner. Yet at a time when Rupee is falling like a stone and we are having some border skirmishes with Pakistan (another Kargil2 in the offing??), can the government afford to spend this big an amount.

In terms of people’s needs, it may surprise many of us city dwellers that even today hunger remains a problem in remote parts of the country. I once visited some immigrants here and felt sorry that they only have two meals a day with nothing in between, not a cup of tea or even a biscuit. Then I happened to read a journalist’s account that in some part of Rajasthan, the children eat by turns – the mother feeds one child one day and another the next. I was shocked. So, it is always a good idea to reach food to people. But not just grains as the Food security bill promises but also some protein like milk or daals.

A better idea would have been improving the reach of the BPL card scheme – ensuring it reaches the neediest (it doesn’t at the moment) and streamlining inspection system over ration shops as well as mid day meal schemes. The recent Bihar tragedy tells us that a serious revamp of this system is required. You can’t just serve “any damn thing” to children because they are poor. Surprise checks and inspection system should be put in place. But then none of this makes election news that you can announce to the beat of drums.

But leaving such rational arguments aside, we are a democracy and winning elections is an important part of that reality. So far as that strategy goes, I’m afraid the Food security bill is not going to get UPA far – it does not have the charm of a mobile, cash or a TV. So whatever be opposition’s arguments, There probably is just too much hype around the Bill whereas my guess is it’ll just pass the voter by.  

 
So this does not seem to be a bill that can be announced to the beat of drums – Dr.Singh and  M’am Sonia, better drum up another ace or strategy to crack the 2014 elections. I'm afraid Food security bill ain’t gonna do it..