The Bangalore District Chapter of the Right to Food (RTF) Campaign – Karnataka organized a public hearing on the Public Distribution System (PDS) on 23rd April 2011 from 2.30 – 6.30 PM in Bangalore (at the United Theological College on Millers Road). The meeting focussed on the functioning of fair price (ration) shops, vigilance committees, grievance redressal mechanisms, Ahara Adalats and distribution of ration cards. Participants included Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), Stree Jagruti Samiti (SJS), Citizens Voluntary Initiative for the City (CIVIC), Domestic Workers Rights Union (DWRU), South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), Association for Promotion of Social Action (APSA) and concerned individuals. SICHREM, CFAR and CIVIC are among the Bangalore based organizations which constitute the RTF Campaign in Karnataka.
Sudha K (CFAR), Convenor, RTF Campaign, Karnataka strongly urged the government to revisit the criteria for categorizing families as Below the Poverty Line (BPL). She shared that in a recent survey conducted by CFAR and other civil society groups in Delhi, 90% of those approached rejected the proposal to replace the PDS with cash transfers as they were unsure of getting any money. “Through the ration stores, we procure some food grain, at least”, the respondents stated. Sudha also highlighted the need to improve the consumer grievance redressal mechanism. She requested the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) department to organize awareness camps particularly in low income neighbourhoods to monitor the operation of fair price shops and the quantity and quality of food grain and other groceries being distributed. During a presentation on Income Criteria for Identifying the Poor, Katyayani Chamraj, Executive Trustee, CIVIC talked about various national (Wadhwa and Tendulkar committees) and international studies (ILC) and recommendations for determining and revising the poverty baseline in India. “PDS must be universalized. How long will the poor go hungry?”, she questioned.
The chief guest Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, founder Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), Mysore and Special Investigation Officer on PDS for Lokayukta. released a set of three Kannada booklets (one of which is partly in English) published by CIVIC. These contain government orders relevant to PDS and RTF, composition and mandate of vigilance committees (called jagruti samitis in Kannada), roles and responsibilities of government officials such as food inspectors, the RTI Act 2005 and details of schemes such as the Antyodaya Anna Yojana. Addressing the gathering after the testimonies, Dr. Balasubramaniam expressed his happiness at the efforts by various groups and individuals to form vigilance committees and question the irregularities in the PDS outlets. He also criticized the government for admitting that there are lakhs of bogus ration cards. For, many of them are provided at the behest of MLA’s and ward councillors. “Acceptance of corruption does not absolve one of guilt. An action taken report must actually have been implemented and not be a mere document.”, he said. Dr. Balasubramaniam and his team found the following while investigating ration shops across Karnataka:
a. Bills are unavailable or forged
b. Mismatch between issuance/procurement register entries and actuals
c. Quantities of rice sold are a few kilogrammes less than real
d. Stores are closed with minimal notice
Dr. Balasubramaniam believed that the storage process for food grains is shameful and renders them unfit for consumption. Commending the good work done by the FCSCA department in plugging leakages in some areas, he informed its officials that a negative report by Lokayukta would impact their career adversely. Calling for pragmatic, realistic and people friendly policies, he exhorted everyone to consume food produced locally. This would suit people’s culture and environment and eliminate transportation and packaging costs.
Later, the Managing Trustee, Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT), Y. J. Muralidharan expressed that a majority of government officers are unfamiliar with laws, procedures and their own roles and responsibilities. Similarly common people are unaware of their rights and entitlements. Unless the latter voice their concerns and follow up with the government on action required, the status quo will persist. Clifton D’Rozario, a legal practitioner with the Alternate Law Forum (ALF) and the State Advisor to the Supreme Court Commissioner on RTF suggested that discussions such as this one be held in residential neighbourhoods near the ration shops to increase community participation. (To this, Chamraj responded that it has happened on previous occasions). Rozario opined “People must demand their fundamental rights and entitlements fearlessly and not beg for them”. He reminded everyone that Vijaykumar was at the meet as per his duty and not as a favour. His counterparts in other zones should have also attended especially since members of the public were present despite other commitments. Rozario cautioned that problem resolution is slow and that NGO’s and similar organizations cannot address all issues.
Daksha Samuha members from Rajagopalanagara (Peenya 2nd stage)
Releasing CIVIC’s Kannada booklets on PDS and RTF
Community activist makes a point
Testimony from K R Puram about improper functioning of ration shop
Cox Town resident provides a copy of an overdue BPL card application form
Chennamma, a TPDS vigilance committee member from Ragigudda
The Deputy Director of FCSCA Department, GoK, Bangalore South Range (informal rationing area) H R Vijaykumar, reiterated that active societal participation is necessary to solve problems. He opined that residents of any neighbourhood can replace a non-functional vigilance committee as it is not an elected body but nominated by the BBMP councillor. He encouraged the public to use the helpline (1800-425-9339) which has been responding to complaints received. “The identity of a complainant is not required but the facts reported must be specific”, he added. Vijaykumar hopes that the situation will improve as the FCSCA department is making its operations more transparent. He stated that an Ahara Adalat is conducted every fortnight (as per the government stipulation) in areas under his jurisdiction such as Chamrajapet. In a brief conversation with this writer after the programme, Vijaykumar mentioned that the hearing is held based on the number of issues reported and that there is no regular schedule. He also claimed that there are records of the Adalats. But Ramamurthy K. V., a field co-ordinator with CIVIC, has found through an RTI application to the office of the Commissioner of FCSCA that there is no evidence of an Ahara Adalat held in any part of Bangalore in 2009 and 2010. He has been working in Rajiv Gandhi Nagara in K. R. Puram on creating awareness about securing BPL cards, accessing various social entitlements such as PDS and the associated challenges for low income families.
Grievances/Testimonies
1. Meena Kumari, Vigilance Committee member, Chinnapalaya, Devarajeevanahalli (Cox Town) – ration shop owner compels her to buy other products in stock even if she needs only rice
2. Gangadri, Thambucettypalya, Krishnarajapuram – he is asked for his electricity bill to obtain goods from PDS outlet
3. Nagalakshmi, Bapuji Nagara, Bangalore North – HIV positive widow without family support faces discrimination from fair price storekeeper who refuses to sell her groceries. But her APL card holder landlord gets easily.
4. Mary and Pushpa, SJS/DWRU, Nakkalabande, Jayanagar – waited in long queues outside ration shop only to get poor quality of rice. Despite complaints and arrests, the owner reopened the store after a few weeks. When they joined local vigilance committees between December 2005 and January 2006 and started monitoring the PDS outlets and raising objections to graft, they were harassed. Geeta Menon, co-founder, SJS remarked, “Men were instructed to control their wives and discourage them from joining the jagruti samitis”. Although the committees are not very active now, the women have earned respect in their neighbourhood. The fair price shopkeepers also seem to fear them and have reduced the malpractices considerably. Menon thinks that giving vigilance committees some authority would help. She revealed that testifiers’ grievances are rarely addressed. Further, they often experience serious repercussions.
5. Malamma and Hasina Begum, Basappanakatte, Rajagopalanagara (Peenya 2nd stage). They are the president and vice president of Daksha Samuha, a community based organization (CBO) initiated in September 2007 by CFAR. Active vigilance committees have succeeded in improving the situation although challenges exist. (Radha V, field co-ordinator, CFAR, informed this reporter before the event that Daksha Samuha has three hundred women and youth members in six low income localities in Peenya, Nandini Layout and Rajarajeswari Nagar. The CBO has reached out to seven thousand five hundred families across Bangalore. After struggling for two years, it has ensured access to civic amenities like water, electricity, roads, etc. The women also assist victims of domestic violence and have handled eighty seven cases satisfactorily, so far. After undergoing training sessions on health, hygiene, nutrition, HIV prevention and relevant subjects through CFAR, the CBO’s members raise awareness about these topics within their community).
When Vijayakumar replied to Gangadri (#2 above) that even the smallest household in Bangalore has at least a light bulb and must therefore have a valid electrical connection and bill, many disagreed with him. Although Vijaykumar noted the other points and identified himself as a representative of his department, he did not commit to any follow up action.
One wonders if the situation of the marginalized will improve when the attitude of the ‘officers’ is such…