No Solution to India's Hunger Problem: Loss of 45 Cr Worth of Food Grain in 5 yrs

Bangalore: India accounts for a loss of 45 crore worth of food grain in the past five years, as per data received from Right to Information. The grains were noted to be damaged mostly during handling and storage and could have fed not less than 250,000 people per year, reported Harinder Baweja for Hindustan Times.

The disclosure comes when the UPA-led government is trying hard to push the food security bill through an ordinance on the basis that it will provide two-third Indians a legal right to affordable food.  It is noted that if there had been better food storage then at least 12.5 lakh people could have been fed.

Previously, the government had acknowledged a loss of wheat worth 5 crore and rice worth 40 crore in the past five years.

As per the RTI reply, though the government has been able to reduce the losses over the years, a poor food storage infrastructure remains one of the leading causes for high wastage of food grains in the country which has 200 million food-insecure people.

Although the government obtains food grains from farmers at a minimum support price, which has been incessantly hiked over the years, in order for it to be distributed to the poor at subsidized prices, the financial losses could be even higher if costs of transportation, handling and storage are taken into account.

Millions stay hungry in India while heaps of food grains rot and it is a shame that the country fails to curb this situation that refrains millions from their rights. No solution to the country’s hunger problem has been found and instead food grain worth crores is going down the drain.

Also Read: India May Loose $46 Billion Due To Malnutrition By 2030
Also Read: Indians Prefer Education, Jobs over Honest Govt: Survey