Slide 1

Food security for the Poorest: Can Gram Panchayats and SHGs play a role?

Debraj BhattacharyaInstitute of Social SciencesKolkataFor Presentation at:ICSSR supported National Conference on Interrogating Development: Regional and Sub-Regional Trends in India in the Era of Globalisation29th and 30th March, 2015St. Josephs College, North Point, Darjeeling

Central Question:

As Indias economy is growing, what is India doing to care for the poorest of the poor? Does India have a strategy in place to identify the poorest and ensure that no one dies of hunger or no one is forced to beg?

It is wishful thinking that Growth can lift everybody out of poverty.

AND INDIA NO MORE HAS THE EXCUSE OF LACK OF FUNDS.

UPA Governments Centralised Answer

Towards the end of the UPA government the Food Security Act was passed which sought to re-vamp the PDS system and provide subsidized food grains to the poor, thereby hoping to eliminate/reduce extreme poverty.

GOOD IDEA !!!

HOWEVER TO ENSURE THE WELFARE OF THE POOREST THIS MAY NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH.

What is the Problem?

Provision of subsidized food grain alone may not be good enough. What is required is to have a system by which the poorest will be cared for in a customised manner and at the local level. They need careful individualized attention in order to survive with dignity.

The one size fits all approach of CSSSs is unlikely to solve the problem of hunger and humiliation that the poorest undergo.

WHAT ROLE CAN THE GRAM PANCHAYATS PLAY IN THE WELFARE OF THE POOREST?

An Example from the Recent Past in West Bengal:

SAHAI A SCHEME DEVELOPED BY GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL in 2009

to address the problem of food security of the poorest

THE SCHEME IS NOT OFFICIALLY DEAD BUT ALMOST FORGOTTEN. THE SCHEME DOES EXIST IN P&RD WEBSITE. BUT DOES NOT GET ANY PROMINENCE IN PRACTICE.

Features of SAHAI:

Following the Rural Household Survey in 2006-07, it was found that [to quote from P&RD website]:

3.5% of the population has reported that even one meal a day is not certain for them. Another 16.5% face difficulty in arranging two square meals a day for all the months in a year

Based on the data of the RH Survey those who scored 1 in Parameter 4 [cannot manage one meal throughout the year] and scored 1 against any other 6 parameters the poorest of the poor was identified and Gram Panchayats was asked to verify the computer generated list.

A list of activities that a Gram Panchayat can do was made available in the policy guideline.

SAHAI FUNDING THE SCHEME

The initiative during the testing phase will be funded pooling resources from available different programme funds, untied fund, SFC, TFC, own fund or any other fund such as Untied Poverty Fund for the SRD programme (wherever applicable), BRGF fund etc.

The Panchayats (at all the three tiers) will be required to spend 20% of its own resources or 75% of the support required for the identified interventions out of its own resources.

Some budgetary resources will be necessary for supporting the initiative especially in areas with low own source resources. The Panchayat bodies may also be encouraged to mobilize public donations for these interventions.

IN OTHER WORDS NOT MUCH FUND WAS ALLOCATED FOR SAHAI. THE SCHEME LARGELY FLOPPED AS A RESULT. WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS.

A successful Case of Local Innovation Mallarpur 1 GP of Birbhum district

The Model Developed by Mallarpur 1 GP

The GP utilised the scheme to make its area beggar free. It put up posters saying that if you see anyone begging please bring him to us and we will pay you Rs 200. A total of 122 poorest persons were identified for the programme. SHGs were mobilised to look after each person. Cooked hot food was served by the SHGs in the afternoon and puffed rice was provided for dinner. The lunch was provided in the house of the SHG leader. Every person was cared for, not just given subsidized food. Those who could not come were provided packed lunch in lunch boxes. Winter clothes were provided. GP gave the poor and infirm a sense of dignity apart from two meals.

Financing the Programme

The funding provided by the state government was not adequate. GPs sought help from 2 rice mills in the locality for subsidized grain. Vegetables were bought from the nurseries developed by the SHGs. Own Source Revenue of the Gram Panchayat was used for part financing the programme. Total Expenditure in 2012-13 was 9,79,660.00 out of which 44,530.00 came from the OSR of the Gram Panchayat.

NGO PRI SHG synergy

A crucial element of the success of Mallarpur 1 GP was synergy between the Gram Panchayat, a local NGO named Nai Subha and the SHGs of the GP area. Under SAHAI the SHGs hardly got any financial benefit but here at least they worked whole heartedly to make the programme a success. Their work has been appreciated by both the State Government as well as by the Union Government.

Limitations of the Model

The strength of the GP is in a way also the limitation of the model the GP had a charismatic President who commands enormous respect in the locality. This is not the case every where.

Without the presence of the SHGs it is difficult to replicate the model.

Mallarpur 1 GP has a reasonably good OSR which it can use to supplement the funding of the State Government. This is not the case everywhere.

The GP benefited from close association with a good grass roots NGO. This is again not present every where.

Although the GP is a TMC GP, the work of the GP is yet to be taken up by the state leaders of TMC.

Can the Experience of Mallarpur 1 model be replicated across the state?

West Bengal has a fairly good network of SHGs and there is a new programme called National Rural Livelihood Mission under which there is lot of funds to support the SHGs. The work that the SHGs need to do is known to them. They need not be taught how to cook food. They need to be compensated for their time. There is greater allocation of funds to the State under the 14th Finance Commission which has loosened the stranglehold of Centrally Sponsored Schemes. There is likely to be increased emphasis on resource mobilization by the Gram Panchayats at the policy level. This can be used for SAHAI. World Bank project, ISGPP, is likely to roll out across the state from 2016. This means additional funding for the GPs. Small donors can also support NGOs to help where SHGs are not that strong.

The scheme does not contradict with the needs of populist democratic politics either. A beggar free rural Bengal sounds good as an electoral campaign material.

Why would TMC government take up a scheme started by LF? Mallarpur 1 GP was never a LF GP. The Pradhan once belonged to Congress, now belongs to TMC. Moreover TMC regime has continued the World Bank sponsored project started by LF.

Can This be Done Elsewhere in India?

Kerela already has a successful programme named Ashraya.

Other states which have good number of SHGs and functional PRIs can do this.

The strategy does not require very high skill level. Women who are SHG members usually know how to cook. What is important is for the state governments to show the willingness to address the issue. After 14th Finance Commission they cannot say that they do not have the money.

Acknowledgements:

Ministry of Panchayati RajP&RD Department, Government of West BengalFunctionaries of Mallarpur 1 GPSHG membersSAHAI beneficiariesMallarpur Nai SubhaMy colleagues Buddhadeb Ghosh and Dilip Kanti Chaudhuri

Thank You