Hundreds of food rights activists held a dharna at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, demanding a proper debate and discussion on the Food Security Ordinance in Parliament.
Led by former National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy, the activists urged all members of Parliament, as representatives of the people, to press for progressive amendments and strengthen the National Food Security Act.
The Act was brought hurriedly on July 5 and has serious flaws, the Right to Food Campaign (RFC), an umbrella body of many organisations and individuals said in a release.
Terming the ordinance as a “mockery of food security”, the RFC said it provided extremely limited food entitlements and was nowhere close to providing food security.
Among the flaws listed was the proposal to exclude 33 per cent of the population from accessing the public distribution system as a right.
Also, the ordinance only provides for 5 kg per person per month, thus ensuring only 166 gm of cereal per person per day, which is barely enough for two rotis a day.
“The ICMR has prescribed at least 14 kg for an adult and 7 kg for a child under 12,” it said, and demanded an average of 10 kg cereals per capita per month.
The RFC also sought income guarantees and higher minimum support price as legal entitlement for farmers, as over 60 per cent people were dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.