PANCHAYATH RAJ INSTITUTION AND FOOD SECURITY FOR RURAL PEOPLE

“People are the real wealth of a

nation. A nation which facilitates
for maximum number of delighted
people is the richest nation ever”.

Mahathma Gandhi

Presented By
Dr. Chandrika CS
INTRODUCTION- FOOD SECURITY
Food security
• As rightly quoted by Father of our nation dreaming
about “Welfare State or Kalyana Rajya with the
strong foundation of Democratic system
• It plays multiple roles to transform food security for
rural people with the intention of improve not only
healthy purpose for all so a quality of rural life, social
justice and sustainable rural development.
What is the concept of food security?
• Everyone is able to get enough healthy food to be
well and active when food is available affordable and
utilized.
• It aims to correct problems that cause world
hunger through organizing programme by the
government and international organizations
Whose food is to be secured and by whom?
 world’s greatest challenges is to secure sufficient and
healthy food for all
 This hunger can be identified in the world’s corners
where food insecurity causes 1 billion people who
are suffering from starvation and under-
malnutrition
 According to National Family Health Survey-3,at least 50
per cent of the total child population is malnourished. In
terms of all these indicators, the SC and ST community,
residing in rural areas, suffer more
Food security

Historical background of food security Recent Food Security Bill – 2013 :

• Jawaharlal Nehru made the famous statement
‘Everything else can wait but not agriculture’, given
more stress on food productivity and security
• The initial days of Freedom in India, we faced acute
shortage of food products that led to major
nutritional problems. One was threat of Famine and
acute starvation due to lack of national and regional
food security systems
An act provide for food and nutritional security in human
life cycle approach by ensuring access to adequate
quality and quantity food affordable prices to people to
live a life with dignity.
 75% of all rural population and 50% of urban households, the
right to 7 kg food gains per person

• one of the first efforts of the country was to build up a

food secured system and ensure the threat of
Famine and starvation no longer stalks.

• Green Revolution the vast investment in agriculture

and initiative have ensured the food production has
kept far with population growth and large India
remains self-sufficient in food
FOOD SECURITY-THE ROLE OF PANCHAYAT RAJ INSTITUTION
Panchayat Raj Institution
 India being the largest democratic country of the world,
the process of nation building with such parameters of
food security is indeed challenge
 Decentralization of power or PRIs [Panchayat Raj
Institutions] is the powerful tool that India chose to face
such challenge efficiently
 Food security is an increasingly urgent priority in the
face of climate change, rising food prices and growing
populations
 To overcome all these problems PRIs with reference to
tribal population was specially considered
The role of PRIs
 It is important to realise, for the sake of participatory rural
appraisal, participatory planning and action by panchayats
 Participatory session and self employment programmes on
plantation of trees and plants so as to increase food
availability and decrease their hardship and uncertainly in
collection of food
 changes in land reforms particularly in the context of female
headed households
 Linking with Major Schemes of government:
Targeted Public Distribution Services (TPDS), Integrated Children
Development Services (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meals (MDM)
 Improvement of Agriculture and Agrarian Reforms.
Locating the food security initiative in a wider framework to develop the
rural economy, the law mentions the need to boost the supply side of the food
grains.
Panchayat Raj Institution

Gramsabha and Food Security

 The Panchayat Raj Institutions along with the Gram Sabha should be given a more meaningful role in planning and
implementation of the activities under the Food Security Act [FSA]

 Gramsabha can be used as a powerful tool which the power has been received from the constitution. Its decision is unchallenged

 Gramsabha to ensure food security, it can bring the proper scrutiny of Below Poverty Line [BPL] families; it can make out the
real poor people to get the fruits of beneficiary programmes

 Meeting of Gramsabha people can rise up the voice to bring changes or make the policies strong enough, through these
actions Gramsabha
FOOD SECURITY-STRATEGIES TO ATTAIN
Strategies

Panchayat - the key to food security, involves three basic  The root-cause for house hold food insecurity was identified as
issues of availability, Stability and accessibility and it aims to poverty and, therefore action related poverty alleviation to be
strengthen the Constitution of India taken

 Article 47 which states “Directive Principles which
directs the state to raise the level of nutrition and the
standard of living and to improve public health as among
its primary duties and in particular the state shall
endeavour to bring about prohibition of intoxicating
drinks and drugs which are injurious to health
 The rural employment that has bearing on food availability must
be promoted at large scale. Ex: Jawarrozgaryojana, Employment
assurance scheme, MGNREG
 PRIs has important vital role to ensure food security through
food production, marketing, storage and distribution

Below are the main strategies.  Crop diversification

 Produce own food needed to attain food security  Tackling climate change

 Improve access to food through food trade, for which  Improved technology adoption
sufficient income must be generated
 Integrated water management
 Establish PDS [Public Distribution System] system to
ensure regular supply of food  Education and literacy
FOOD SECURITY