September 05, 2001

    Under "Food for Work" Programme during the year 2001-2002, about 18.41 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been released to the drought/flood and natural calamity affected states namely, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. In addition, 1 lakh tonnes of foodgrains are being recommended for release to the flood affected State of Bihar.

    During the year 2000-01, an amount of Rs. 300 Crore was allocated under the FFWP. About 6 lakh tonnes of foodgrains (Wheat & Rice) were released to the concerned States, except Uttaranchal. The Ministry of Rural Development released an amount of Rs. 300 Crore to the DRDA’s to make payment to the FCI against the actual lifting of foodgrains by the DRDA’s / Relief Commissioner.

    As per the latest reports received from the State Governments/Department of Food and Public Distribution against the total foodgrains of 24.41 lakh tonnes released to the States, so far, about 14.49 lakh tonnes, including Paddy, have been lifted, out of which 7.21 lakh tonnes have been distributed by the concerned States (Annexure).

    Under the Programme, the Government of India make appropriate quantity of foodgrains available to each of the affected States as an additionality and free of cost with a view to enable the affected States to provide adequate wage employment opportunities to the needy rural poor. The eligibility criteria for employment has been relaxed so as to include both BPL and APL families. Payment of wages is to be partly in kind (up to 5 kgs. of foodgrains per manday) and partly in cash. The State Governments are free to calculate the cost of foodgrains paid in wages, at either BPL rates or APL rates or anywhere between these two rates. The cash component of the wages and the material cost are to be met from the Scheme under which the Food for Work Programme is implemented. The cost of transportation of foodgrains from FCI godowns to the worksite/PDS and its distribution is the responsibility of the State Governments.

    The allotment of foodgrains to the States under the Food for Work Programme is made after obtaining District-wise proposals of requirement of foodgrains from the State Government concerned, which is forwarded by the Ministry of Rural Development recommended to the Department of Food and Public Distribution for release of foodgrains, district-wise. The FCI is to release foodgrains, without insisting of payment (from the Collector/DRDAs) for lifting the required quantity of foodgrains within the allotted District-wise allocation of the Department of Food and Public Distribution. The Ministry of Rural Development will make payment directly to the FCI against the lifting of foodgrains by the States, on submission of Bills by the FCI to the Ministry duly verified by the Collector/Relief Commissioner of the State Government/DRDAs.

    The Food for Work Programme was started as early as in January, 2001 as part of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS), in eight drought affected States viz., Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal. The Programme aims at augmenting food security through wage employment in the drought affected rural areas, as notified by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. The Scheme has since been in operation in those rural areas, which are notified as drought affected. The Food for Work Programme (FFWP) was later expanded to form a part of any Scheme of the Central or State Government being implemented for the generation of wage employment in the notified districts for the State during periods of natural calamities, such as drought, flood, cyclone or earthquake. Accordingly, revised Guidelines were also formulated and circulated to the State Governments. The Programme was earlier to have ended by 30^th June, 2001 and has been extended upto 30^th September, 2001.

    Central teams comprising the officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Food and Public Distribution have visited the States in May, 2001 and reported that the FFWP is well-grounded in States like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Orissa, which have lifted the foodgrains allotted to them and made the payment to the FCI relating to the foodgrains lifted during the last year.

• on the request of the State Government Chhatisgarh 2,98,507 tonnes of paddy was allocated in lieu of 2,00,000 tonnes of rice to the State of Chhatisgarh.