National Food Security Act, only for a few workers of Ministers, MLAs or political leaders ?

Nongthombam Bishwajit Singh *

Chief Minister O Ibobi addressing the launch of the NFSA on April 25 2016 :: Pix - TSE

In Manipur, ultimately centrally sponsored scheme National Food Security Act came to see light on the 25th April, 2016 launched by Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh at a function held at FCI godown, Sangaiprou, Imphal.

People of the state should welcome the much awaited initiative of the government but the question is how far the benefit of the scheme could reach the rightful people who are eligible for the same in the present beneficiary selection system?

It is quite interesting to hear that at the launching programme, CM and some Ministers said that those found guilty in malpractising in distribution of food items under NFS Act would be punished befittingly. Their saying has become their daily mantra to impress people which cannot be translated into action. Each and everybody knows politicians interfere in every field of development activities directly or indirectly. The guilty person or persons will be non other than politicians or their agents. No innocent people will dare to indulge in such illegal activities.

For the last few decades, we have seen that beneficiaries for any government schemes are selected through some hand-picked workers of ministers, MLAs or political leaders. They left out those people who are not supported by them for any reason whether political or personal enmity.

So the genuine beneficiaries are excluded from the beneficiary list causing deep hurt to them. When new schemes are launched, weaker sections do not feel happy except those who are loyal to Ministers, MLAs or political leaders.

Present system gives authority of choosing beneficiary to political workers since political leaders use Govt schemes as their tool to gain political mileage. Whatever the criteria of the central sponsored schemes is, some hand-picked workers of ministers and MLAs or leaders decided the eligibility criteria in favour of the person if he/she is on their side. That is why BPL families remain poor while persons loyal to Ministers, MLAs become contractors and richer.

Any central schemes such as housing loan or anything, majority of the beneficiaries are workers of political leaders or their supporters. Those people who cannot spare time to follow the local political agents or who couldn’t go to Minister or MLA’s residence to show their support are excluded from the beneficiary list. It doesn’t mean that all the Ministers, MLAs or political leaders are same but it is true that the present system of selection of beneficiary is followed by majority of them.

In case of housing loan, people close to MLA or Minister agents are chosen as the beneficiary even though the individual or persons has/have higher income and can build houses by their own. And such, the rights of weaker section is violated and new schemes in the name of poor people became treasure of rich and powerful individuals.

In order to ensure the benefit of schemes reached the targeted people, both governments central and state should change the prevailing system into a new system where there is no political influence directly or indirectly. Only then, objective of any schemes can be fulfilled upto the mark.

Here, we can follow the DBTL system in distributing LPG subsidy where proper verification of beneficiaries are carried out through IOC.

Instead of entrusting the task of making list of beneficiaries through Minister’s or MLA’s agents, it will be far better to entrust the task to an independent body if the state govt is unable to identify the real beneficiary. Yes, govt will surely respond that the selection of beneficiary is being done by officials of concerned districts. But the reality is that it is done by some agents at local level.

We can see lot of shattered houses in Manipur but they couldn’t pursue and get the benefit of housing loan because most of the benefits have gone to persons or workers closed to local MLAs or Ministers. But in this critical juncture when the election is knocking at the door, political leaders should wake up and understand the sentiment of the people especially the poor people and win the heart of all instead of impressing few people and be a real leader.

We have seen huge change in recent elections that as voters are becoming more educated and increasingly aware, strategy of bribing voters becomes ineffective today. One day there will be no place for money and muscle power in elections. So, the political parties should change their outdated political strategy of buying voters at the 11th hour of election time instead they should work hard to win the heart of the people as a whole not few selected people thereby changing the prevailing system of selection of beneficiary.

Political leaders or representatives should keep in mind that election cannot be win by only those your selected workers but the poor voters. Hence, before it is too late wake-up Ministers MLAs and political leaders and change your policy and make sure that the benefit of the government schemes reached the rightful persons as per the guidelines of the schemes by inclusion of those persons who are left out by your workers.