Govt to streamline PDS

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on Friday announced the streamlining of the public distribution system to remove its 'distortions'.

A meeting of chief ministers will be convened shortly to evolve a slicker version of the PDS. The affordable level of subsidies and the alternatives to the present system will be worked out at this meeting, Gujral said in the Lok Sabha.

The prime minister said his travels in the backward states, particularly the North-East, had convinced him that no family could survive on the monthly 10 kilos of food grains which the PDS provided at half the actual price. For the rest of their requirements, the poor had to go to the open market.

Gujral said the present subsidy burden of Rs 90 billion may even be increased slightly to facilitate the new scheme.

"It is very unfortunate the poor have to bear the burden of inflation.The government had to pay more to the farming community last year," he said.

Earlier, the Shiv Sena's Anant Gangaram Geete said the PDS is in shambles and blamed the Centre for the irregularities in its implementation. "The states have had to bear the brunt of the Centre's lapses," he said.

In a moving speech, Geete said the country could not advance merely by scientific progress or the indigenous development of Agni and Prithvi missiles -- it could become strong only when the common citizen becomes powerful, and his needs are looked after.

In Maharashtra, he pointed out the amount allocated to the PDS had been consistently going down. And this, while the population has been swelling all along -- it had now touched 100 million, with Bombay alone accounting for 12 million people.

Bharatiya Janata Party member M S Bhati said the family ration under the new scheme should be at least 40 kg. He also wanted the Centre to have a role in monitoring the distribution.

UNI