January 6, 2006

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

Denounce This Retrograde Move

The UPA government’s decision to cut the food subsidy by Rs. 4524 crore by reducing the quantity of wheat and rice issued through the PDS and Antyodaya Anna Yojana is a very retrograde move which is a betrayal of the UPA government’s commitment to the people. This will adversely affect hundreds of millions of people at a time when calorie consumption is already declining and nutritional deficiencies are on the increase, especially among the poor.

It is shocking that the BPL and Antyodaya families will be getting 5 kg less foodgrains per month. Instead of enlarging the scope of the PDS, this amounts to reducing its spread and reducing the access of ordinary people to basic nutrition.

Further, this move will limit the turnover of the Food Corporation of India and affect its ability to undertake procurement at minimum support prices of crops. At a time when farmers continue to reel under severe agrarian crisis, the attempt should be to ensure stable prices through procurement.

The Polit Bureau demands that the government reverse this anti-poor measure.