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The Game of Targeted Public Distribution System in the Life of Tribal Communities of Madhya Pradesh A Study Sampark M.P. Conducted by The Game of Targeted Public Distribution System in the Life of Tribal Communities of Madhya Pradesh – Study conducted by Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh Support Group ® Sampark Village Raipuriya, Block- Petlavad, District- Jhabua, MP Sopan Opposite SP Bunglow, Old ITI building, Barapatthar, Seoni, MP VASPS Post and Village-Simrol, Distt-Indore, MP Debate Alkapuri, Bhopal & Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh Group E7/226, First floor, Arera Colony, Shahpura, Bhopal, MP The Game of Targeted Public Distribution System in the Life of Tribal Communities of Madhya Pradesh – Study conducted by Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh Support Group Chapter­1 Introduction and Methodology 1. Introduction Public Distribution System in India was started with a goal of price stabilisation in the grain market. PDS had been ensuring the supply of foodgrain on an affordable price to the people. In 1997 the system of PDS was changed to a new system called Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The basic objective of TPDS is to provide foodgrains to the poor families on subsidised prices. The TPDS has a hidden objective of income redistribution by providing food cheaper to the poor than to the non­poor. This means that effective and transparent functioning of TPDS is an important tool of poverty eradication through increased calorie intake among the poorer families. The reduction in poverty through increased calorie intake depends on two things, first is the timely availability of subsidised foodgrain through PDS and second is sustained purchasing capacity of poorer household. The second condition can be met if the poorer families have enough cash with them to buy subsidies foodgrains from PDS shop. This also depends on availability of enough opportunity of work to get sufficient cash. The TPDS is critical for landless poor, poor with small and marginal holdings. The nature of poverty and status of rural economy comes in this regard. There had been report of starvation deaths in many parts of the country. The deaths in Orissa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have been highlighted in the media reports in last few years. The effective functioning of TPDS is important in States where major proportion of population lives in rural areas and people mainly depend on primary sector of economy for their livelihood. The effectiveness of TPDS is also important in States where agriculture depends on rains and the secondary and tertiary sectors are underdeveloped or in nascent stage. States like Madhya Pradesh fit in the Population Details of MP both categories mentioned above. (Figures of Rural and Urban are in percentages) Population MP SC ST Madhya Pradesh is one among the Total Population 60348023 9155177 12233474 poorest States of India. More than 37 Percentage 100 15.2 20.3 percent people of the State still live Rural Population 74 76 94 below the poverty line which means that Urban Population 26 24 6 Source: Census 2001 they are unable to get basic minimum requirement of per capita calorie intake. The rural poverty ratio in M.P., is 37.06 percent. Around 74 percent population still lives in the rural areas of the State. The Rural Economy of the State depends on primary sector, which is largely dominated by agriculture. The irrigation facilities are poor and only 27.8% of the total cropped area are irrigated 1. The low percentage of irrigated area shows that the agriculture and crops depend on rains. This brings uncertainty to the agriculture and agricultural production. This uncertainty is evident from the change in the productivity of major agricultural products in MP (Table: I – 2). The data in table shows that the average productivity has been inconsistent and fluctuating in last five years. There has been fluctuation in the production of major foodgrains like wheat and paddy. 1 MPHDR, 2003, page 402, employment: 10 The Game of Targeted Public Distribution System in the Life of Tribal Communities of Madhya Pradesh – Study conducted by Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh Support Group Production of foodgrains and other cash crops in MP (Kilogram per hectare) Agricultural products 1998­99 1999­00 2000­01 2001­02 2002­03 Paddy 892 1058 605 1005 652 Wheat 1883 1941 1535 1691 1475 Jowar 968 782 717 903 947 Maize 1457 1582 1459 1310 1779 Gram 975 986 820 944 721 Soybean 1016 1068 767 840 652 Toor Dal 920 877 668 818 638 Cotton 436 442 244 369 350 Sugarcane 4090 4377 3847 3893 3962 Table: I – 2; Source: Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh, 2003­04 The data presented in table I – 3 shows the fluctuation in overall production of cereals and pulses. The production figures show that the production in the year 2002 – 03 has been less than the previous years. Production of foodgrains and other cash crops in MP (Figures in lakh metric tone) Agricultural products 1998­99 1900­2000 2000­2001 2001­2002 2002­2003 Paddy 13.84 17.1 9.42 16.92 9 Wheat 82.55 86.85 84.69 60 42.85 Jowar 7.18 5.27 4.6 5.8 5.57 All cereals 118.75 125.78 79.1 103.82 75.34 All pulses 33.72 34.23 22.75 32.24 22.2 Total food grains 152.47 160.01 101.85 136.06 97.55 Table: I – 3; Source: Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh, 2003­04 The High Level Committee report highlights that, “A salient feature of India’s cereals situation is that most States are deficit. Only five States produced surpluses of rice and wheat over consumption in 1999­2000. The remaining States were deficit by more than a third of consumption.” The reduction in the productivity and production of foodgrains means low availability of foodgrains especially for poor families. The effectiveness of TPDS is more crucial in two areas which are poorer regions and the food deficit areas. An area where the production of foodgrains is not consistent needs effective system to meet the gap of foodgrain demand in the area. These days incidence of stark hunger is uncommon and number of such people has been reduced over the years. According to NSSO the people who did not have two “square meal” in a day reduced from 19 percent in 1983 to 7 percent in 1993. Inadequate consumption or low calorie intake is much more common in India and especially in States like Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Orissa where agricultural production depends on rains and large proportion of rural population work as wage earner, main or marginal. If the TPDS does not work effectively that means low availability of foodgrains to the poor families and that further means increase in the incidence of poverty. It is important to understand that large proportion of population in Madhya Pradesh lives close to the borderline of poverty and decrease in food intake may increase poverty ratio in the States. Thus effective functioning of TPDS is crucial for families below the poverty line. The Game of Targeted Public Distribution System in the Life of Tribal Communities of Madhya Pradesh – Study conducted by Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh Support Group 2. Need for the study Action Aid India with its partner organisations, work in around 11 districts of the State. Most of these districts have high poverty ratio and have high percentage of tribal population as well. While working in the rural areas of these districts AAI and its partners have always experienced that the poor people from this area face the situation of shortage of foodgrains. It has also been noticed that large number of landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and other rural workers migrate outside the village in search of work. Sometimes they migrate to irrigated areas but in most cases people do migrate to the urban areas in search of work. Migration of people is one among the prominent strategies of people to mange the issue of food security. It has been observed that in most of the cases the nature of migration is of distress migration. People never mentioned the contribution of FPS and TPDS in food security on their own and often one has to ask about the role of FPS in their over all system of food security. This forced us to think about the role and contribution of TPDS in the poorer areas especially in the lives of tribal people. The careful analysis of situation raises one fundamental question that do poor families have been able to get subsidised foodgrains through the system of TPDS? During our informal discussion with villagers we were told that the families need subsidised foodgrain from FPS because it reduces the pressure to migrate outside the village on poor wages. The effective PDS also encourages them to leave parents and children at home while they are going as wage labourer. The effective PDS also helps them to have comparatively more resources for healthcare and other necessary work. Our initial interaction with village community helped us in designing a study to review the functioning of TPDS and FPS in rural Madhya Pradesh. The study aimed at reviewing the TPDS in rural and tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh to understand the current status of access of poor to TPDS. Madhya Pradesh has been the place where comparatively greater attempts were made to manage the pro­poor delivery of services through Panchayat Raj Institutions. The management and control of Fair Price Shops in Madhya Pradesh, has been given to the Panchayat Raj Institutions. The Gram Sabha has power and authority over the functioning of Fair Price Shops as well.

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