Jayalalitha doles may trigger populism war
Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa’s pledge to distribute 20kg of foodgrains for free to each BPL household in the state every month could spark off competitive politics.
By Nitin Sethi, TNN |
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa’s pledge to distribute 20kg of foodgrains for free to each BPL household in the state every month could spark off competitive politics. The move is likely to challenge the Centre’s aim to benefit politically from its halfhearted bid at a social security blanket for the poor through its Food Security Bill.
UPA-II has already been hit by a recent SC order, which has asked a panel under Justice Wadhwa to decide how an additional 5 million tonnes of foodgrains would be distributed to the country’s 150 poorest districts. It has also directed the government to revise its poverty line upwards.
Jayalalithaa’s promise is in sync with the state’s history of populist schemes because Tamil Nadu was the first state to introduce the midday meal for students.
However, Congress has reasons to be worried since the Opposition-ruled states are ready to pass on greater benefits to the poor than the Centre is willing to consider.
The Centre has kept the poverty line low, ensuring that it passes on subsidy to the states for a smaller number of beneficiaries under the PDS. On occasions, the states improvised — picking up whatever foodgrains are available in PDS — and also gave additional subsidy.
The Centre was planning to persist with it till the apex court stepped in. The government , which had fielded the Planning Commission to defend the conservative estimates of the poor as per the Tendulkar Committee report, is caught between the rock and hard face.
On one hand, the judiciary is pushing the Centre to do more, on the other the Opposition-ruled states are indulging in competitive politics.
The recommendations of the Wadhwa panel would also be closely monitored, setting a benchmark for the Centre to equal or better it through its Food Security Act.
UPA-II has already been hit by a recent SC order, which has asked a panel under Justice Wadhwa to decide how an additional 5 million tonnes of foodgrains would be distributed to the country’s 150 poorest districts. It has also directed the government to revise its poverty line upwards.
Jayalalithaa’s promise is in sync with the state’s history of populist schemes because Tamil Nadu was the first state to introduce the midday meal for students.
However, Congress has reasons to be worried since the Opposition-ruled states are ready to pass on greater benefits to the poor than the Centre is willing to consider.
The Centre has kept the poverty line low, ensuring that it passes on subsidy to the states for a smaller number of beneficiaries under the PDS. On occasions, the states improvised — picking up whatever foodgrains are available in PDS — and also gave additional subsidy.
The Centre was planning to persist with it till the apex court stepped in. The government , which had fielded the Planning Commission to defend the conservative estimates of the poor as per the Tendulkar Committee report, is caught between the rock and hard face.
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On one hand, the judiciary is pushing the Centre to do more, on the other the Opposition-ruled states are indulging in competitive politics.
The recommendations of the Wadhwa panel would also be closely monitored, setting a benchmark for the Centre to equal or better it through its Food Security Act.
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