Rs 31,500 cr of PDS grain stolen in 3 yrs
In the last three years, Rs 31,585.98 crore worth of wheat and rice meant for the poorest of the poor was siphoned off from the public distribution system.
By Nitin Sethi, TNN |
NEW DELHI: In the last three years, Rs 31,585.98 crore worth of wheat and rice meant for the poorest of the poor was siphoned off from the public distribution system. Last year alone, Rs 11,336.98 crore worth of foodgrain that the government is supposed to distribute to the needy at subsidised prices found its way into the market illegally.
Every year, India’s poor are cheated out of 53.3% of wheat and 39% of rice meant for them. With the exception of 11 states and Union Territories , there is largescale diversion of PDS grain across India. And, these 11 states and UTs seem to be faring better only because the others are so far ahead in the dirty business.
In the case of wheat, except for 12 states, there’s massive pilferage of the grain all over the country. The situation is a tad better for rice, with 16 states having little or no diversion. Exceptions apart, the poor in India simply can’t trust the government to deliver them food supplies. The malaise cuts across party lines and categories like progressive, rich states and the poor, less developed ones.
The North-East is in a class of its own. Of the eight states here, not a single grain of wheat supplied to six — Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram , Nagaland and Assam — reaches the targeted poor. Arunachal Pradesh can claim to be a little less corrupt as 96.2% of its PDS wheat gets diverted. Manipur takes the cake as 97.7% of its rice allocation is also siphoned off with Nagaland following close behind at 88.6% of rice being diverted.
If political and policing troubles in the North-East can be blamed for such daylight robbery, other states have no alibi. In terms of loss to the exchequer , Uttar Pradesh fares the worst, followed by Left-ruled West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
In 2006-07 , Rs 3,289.71 crore worth of rice and wheat was stolen in UP. The corresponding figure in West Bengal was Rs 1,913.76 crore and in MP, Rs 1,038.69 crore. While the percentage of diversion may be lower than the North-East , the sheer volume of rice and wheat distributed in these states helps black-marketeers make a killing.
Times View
Everybody knows the government’s delivery system to the poor sucks. But what this TOI report brings out is not mere inefficiency, it’s a shocking crime. It means that instead of serving the poor, government is subsidising corrupt babus and middlemen to the tune of over Rs 10,000 crore a year.
Check this out: the value of the grain stolen in the last three years is equal to two years of our health budget or a year’s education budget. This thievery has been known for decades but is just not getting fixed. Many alternatives to the PDS, like food coupons, have been suggested. Frankly, none of these will work unless government is committed to serving the people and refuses to tolerate anything, including this sort of corruption, that comes in its way. Good governance is the only real answer to the problem.
Every year, India’s poor are cheated out of 53.3% of wheat and 39% of rice meant for them. With the exception of 11 states and Union Territories , there is largescale diversion of PDS grain across India. And, these 11 states and UTs seem to be faring better only because the others are so far ahead in the dirty business.
In the case of wheat, except for 12 states, there’s massive pilferage of the grain all over the country. The situation is a tad better for rice, with 16 states having little or no diversion. Exceptions apart, the poor in India simply can’t trust the government to deliver them food supplies. The malaise cuts across party lines and categories like progressive, rich states and the poor, less developed ones.
The North-East is in a class of its own. Of the eight states here, not a single grain of wheat supplied to six — Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram , Nagaland and Assam — reaches the targeted poor. Arunachal Pradesh can claim to be a little less corrupt as 96.2% of its PDS wheat gets diverted. Manipur takes the cake as 97.7% of its rice allocation is also siphoned off with Nagaland following close behind at 88.6% of rice being diverted.
If political and policing troubles in the North-East can be blamed for such daylight robbery, other states have no alibi. In terms of loss to the exchequer , Uttar Pradesh fares the worst, followed by Left-ruled West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
In 2006-07 , Rs 3,289.71 crore worth of rice and wheat was stolen in UP. The corresponding figure in West Bengal was Rs 1,913.76 crore and in MP, Rs 1,038.69 crore. While the percentage of diversion may be lower than the North-East , the sheer volume of rice and wheat distributed in these states helps black-marketeers make a killing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Times View
Everybody knows the government’s delivery system to the poor sucks. But what this TOI report brings out is not mere inefficiency, it’s a shocking crime. It means that instead of serving the poor, government is subsidising corrupt babus and middlemen to the tune of over Rs 10,000 crore a year.
Check this out: the value of the grain stolen in the last three years is equal to two years of our health budget or a year’s education budget. This thievery has been known for decades but is just not getting fixed. Many alternatives to the PDS, like food coupons, have been suggested. Frankly, none of these will work unless government is committed to serving the people and refuses to tolerate anything, including this sort of corruption, that comes in its way. Good governance is the only real answer to the problem.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
