Fwd: [MKSS-Saathi] RtFC Update
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From: rtfc india <righttof...@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2020, 21:48
Subject: [MKSS-Saathi] RtFC Update
To: Secretariat Right to Food Campaign <rtfc...@gmail.com>
Activities of the right to food campaign
National Day of Mourning: On 1 June, the right to food campaign along with other networks and organizations such as NAPM, NFIW, BGVS and AIDWA conducted a nationwide day of mourning in 23 states to remember the colossal loss of lives due to the ill-conceived lockdown since March 25th. People across the country protested against the manner in which the lockdown was imposed without adequate planning or relief. People protested in small groups, at FCI godowns, panchayat buildings, NREGA worksites and on the streets. (Press release- Hindi / English ) and consolidated report - Hindi / English
Media coverage: ToI Telegraph Mattersindia Chhattisgarh
With the extension of lockdown, the Odisha Khadya Adhikar Abhijan on 20th April, wrote to the chief minister to demand, among other things, unconditional universalisation of the PDS and payment of delayed MGNREGA wages.
Odisha Khadya Adhikar Abhijan also conducted a telephonic survey in the month of July of pension beneficiaries to understand the situation of food insecurity among them. The survey was conducted in migration prone districts of Odisha (100 beneficiaries in 10 blocks of 4 districts- Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada). About 73% of the respondents reported that they didn't have money to buy more rice and 54% of them were eating less than usual because of less availability of foodgrains. Report, Media reports: Hindustan Times, The Hindu.
The Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan (DRRAA) has moved an application before the Delhi High Court highlighting the discontinuation of all food security scheme and the closing of hunger relief centres which were providing hot cooked meals free of cost. The Delhi High Court heard the matter on 16th July and issued a notice to the Delhi Government to continue food security scheme for those without ration cards. Press release
On 27th April while hearing a petition filed by DRRAA, the Delhi High Court gave directions regarding functioning of the PDS in Delhi. The Delhi government was directed to ensure that all ration shops remain operational during working hours, those not in possession of a ration card (non PDS individuals) are disbursed grain from ration shops as well as other centres set up by government for this purpose and the government immediately places on its website the grievance helpline numbers and contact details of nodal officers.
On 29th & 30th April, DRRAA volunteers visited ration shops to check their functioning. Find the report here. On 1st May, the campaign wrote a letter to the chief minister for ensuring ration to all those who are in need during COVID 19 pandemic. Find the update on the Delhi High Court hearing held on 6th May and the Court order of the hearing held on 11th June. Press Release on hearing of DRRAA’s petition held on 11th June. Follow @RTF_DRRAA
In an RTI filed by The Wire it was found that the Delhi government had not been providing cooked meals or dry ration to children under the mid-day meal scheme. Instead, it had transferred some amount in the bank accounts which is less than the amount allocated per child and has not been sent to all children.
On 9th May 2020, Right to Food and Work Campaign, West Bengal wrote a letter regarding immediate state clearance to run ‘Shramik Special’ trains from Karnataka and Maharashtra. The campaign requested both the states to look into the matter and ensure safe return of stranded migrant workers in these states. For more updates follow @Right to Food and Work Campaign
Several organisations and unions wrote a joint letter to Chief Minister Rajasthan on 6th May requesting to talk to the Karnataka Chief minister and request him to allow Shramik Special Trains to run from Karnataka so that the stranded workers from Rajasthan can come back to their hometowns. In another Memorandum written on 7th May people’s organisations and various unions to open the borders of the state and allow those who are stranded in other states. Highlighting that such an act of the government is inhuman, memorandum demanded to screen those entering the state and that the state government should make arrangements for their travel to respective districts.
Right to Food Campaign Karnataka carried out various activities in the months of May, June and July. Campaigns through letters, newspaper articles, etc. were carried out for demanding proper implementation of NFSA. Other activities for ensuring Right to Employment and Children’s Right to Food were also carried out in Karnataka.
Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in the month of April has conducted a rapid assessment of the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on food and nutrition security in rural Karnataka. The study looked into the immediate impact of COVID-19 lockdown on food and nutrition security of the marginalised and poor rural population in 5 districts (Bidar, Raichur, Vijayapura, Koppal, Ramanagara) of Karnataka. It also looked into the effectiveness of specific measures announced by the Central and Karnataka State government in terms of providing rations, food, healthcare for children and women through anganwadis, schools and public distribution system under ICDS, MDMS and TPDS schemes.
The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (phmindia.org) has issued various statements on issues highlighting plight of health workers, demanding to bring public and private health sector under a common demand stricture during covid19, statement on the role of private health sector during Covid19, the campaign also wrote to the Delhi Chief Minister opposing the Delhi government’s call to disallow people from other states to avail medical facility in Delhi hospitals and also demanding to open doors of Delhi’s hospitals for everyone. JSA also condemned the stimulus package of the government which did not have any stimulus for health, the statement also highlighted that the countries public investment on health is lowest (0.9% of the GDP) across countries. It also issued a statement against the governments decision to impose lockdown post 3rd May and highlighted that population lockdowns are at best temporary, emergency measures which need to be accompanied by health related and socio-economic measures.
On May 2, Right to Food Campaign Bihar released a statement on issues faced by people during the 42 days lockdown. Many people have been deprived of food/ration, while many migrant workers are stranded in other states.
The Madhya Pradesh Right to Food Campaign wrote to the chief minister highlighting severe hunger and malnutrition among children, pregnant and lactating mothers during the lockdown and the pandemic. The letter suggested measures for managing the situation of severe hunger among the vulnerable groups. In another submission to the chief minister, the campaign highlighted the plight of farmers, poor, homeless and other vulnerable groups facing the brunt of the lockdown. The letter demanded cash handouts, pensions, universal PDS etc. to help people during the pandemic.
On 7th May, members of the Jagrit Adiwasi Dalit Sangathan protested at the office of the Barwani district collector against the sudden lockdown imposed and demanded free ration during the pandemic. People also gave a memorandum to the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan through the district collector. Press statement
Vikas Samvad, Madhya Pradesh, conducted a study in the month of May on the impact of Covid-19 on the health and nutritional status of women and children in Madhya Pradesh. Report, Brief- English/Hindi, Presentation, Media- NDTV
Activities of Other Campaigns
Voices of the Invisible Citizens – in the month of April, Jan Sahas Madhya Pradesh, conducted a rapid assessment on the impact of Covid-19 lockdown on internal migrant workers. Find the complete report here.
Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha on 20th April issued a statement to demand universalization of the PDS, increase testing for corona cases, provision of safety/PPE kits to people fighting the pandemic, and a wage rise for NREGA workers, among other demands. (English/Hindi). For more updates, follow @Janadhikar Mahasabha
PUCL has sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to ask states to pay maternity benefits of Rs. 6000 as per the NFSA during the pandemic to pregnant and lactating mothers (The Hindu). To support the case the campaign is conducting a survey to understand the implementation of the scheme.
On 1st May, about 37 social activists and other concerned citizens wrote to the Union minister MoRD demanding additional budgetary allocation for NREGA, doing away with the limit of 100 days person per household, and introduction of an urban employment guarantee act. Find the letter here
On 1st May, activists and other concerned people from Maharashtra organised a citizen’s satyagrah in support of migrant workers. People from 35 districts of the state observed a symbolic one day fast to make the government aware of its constitutional responsibility. Some of the major demands of the satyagrah were free ration to all, arrangements for those who want to go back to their respective states and compensation to farmers for losses incurred during the lockdown. Find the press release here.
On 22nd May, Citizen Forum protested in Patna to demand ration, medical facilities, Covid- 19 check-ups, safe return of stranded migrant workers, and withdrawal of reforms in labour laws.
On 16th June, a press conference was organised in Patna by Shehri Gareeb Vikas Sanghathan and Domestic Workers Union for demanding from the Bihar government livelihood and legal protection for domestic workers during this pandemic.
The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has expressed deep disappointment over the stimulus package given to the fisheries sector. Thehindu
Nrega Adhikar Diwas- NREGA workers across the country observed NREGA Adhikar Diwas on 29th June on a call by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha. The workers raised demands to increase the wage under the programme, to increase annual days of guaranteed work to 200 days per person. Press release (English/Hindi). Find photographs and press coverage here.
Government Initiatives
On 15th May the Finance Minister announced the central government’s “One Nation, One Ration Card” initiative to allow national portability of ration cards under the PDS. The government said it will be implemented by August for 67 crore beneficiaries i.e. 83% of the entire PDS system in 23 states. Livemint
On 20th March, the Ministry of Human Resource Development ordered state governments to provide mid-day meals to children despite the closure of schools. However, many states have not come up with any plan to distribute the food. Odisha is set to introduce locally produced millets into ICDS, MDMs and PDS.
The Telangana State Human Rights Commission has advised the Telangana Chief Secretary and the District Collectors to identify all those migrant workers and other citizens stranded and arrange trains for them.
Jharkhand government on 4th May, launched three schemes under NREGA: Birsa Harit Gram Yojana for plantation, Neelambar Pitambar Jal Sammridhi Yojana for water conservation and Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme for making playgrounds.
On 16th July, the Odisha government included transgender persons in the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana. Those transgender persons whose annual income is less than Rs. 40000 are eligible to get pension under the scheme.
Odisha government has ordered on 17th July that the spouse/next of kin of anganwadi workers and ASHA who succumb to COVID 19 in line of duty under active deployment of state authorities would continue to get Rs. 7500 per month for anganwadi workers and Rs. 5000 per month for ASHA workers till the date the deceased worker would have attained the age of 60 years.
Chhattisgarh government on 14th July ordered that it will give free 5 kg rice per person and 1 kg of chana per ration card to all the beneficiaries of the state food security act (except for the APL card holders) from July to November 2020.
There has been rising concerns over the rise of hunger and malnutrition cases among children who are not getting mid-day meals due to closure of schools and anganwadi centres. The Madras high court on 13th July, asked the Tamil Nadu government on how it plans to fulfill the nutritional requirements of lakhs of children who are not getting noon meals due to closure of schools since March due to the lockdown
Recent articles in the media
Food for all during lockdown: State governments must universalise PDS (Dipa Sinha, The Wire, April 20)
In Jharkhand, a mockery of ‘Right to food’ as lockdown relief measures fail to deliver (Vivek Kumar, The Wire, May 13)
Additional allocation for MGNREGA must be supplemented with steps to make it more effective (Rakshita Swamy, The Indian Express, May 22)
The majority cannot afford a balanced diet (Madhura Swaminathan, the Hindu, July 28)
Averting hunger during monsoon calls for bold food security measures (Jean Dreze, The India Express, June 9)
Lockdown: Bihar is perilously ignoring the consequences of undernutrition on children (Pratyush Singh and Chandan Kumar, The Wire, June 12)
Government has created an archive of distress, a museum of misery for migrant workers (The Wire, June 14)
Modi government’s ‘One Nation, One ration’ is an attempt to deflect attention from actual solutions ( Reetika Khera, Scroll, June 17)
How the lockdown destroyed children’s nutrition programme (Subodh Varma, News Click, June 21)
That foodgrain stocks lie in public godowns while people are going hungry is a scandal (Dipa Sinha, The Indian Express, June 26)
Modi government should embrace NREGA without trying to defend the indefensible (Debmalya Nandy and Rajendran Narayan, scroll, June 27)
Utilise MGNREGA to the fullest capacity (Brinda Karat, The Hindu, July 1)
Large sections of poor are unlikely to benefit from extension of food grains scheme (Swati Narayan, The Indian Express, July 7)
If you would like to share any information in the next update or join the campaign activities, please write at rtfc...@gmail.com
साथियों, इस अपडेट के माध्यम से हम रोज़ी रोटी अधिकार अभियान की, एवं अन्य अभियान और नेटवर्क की गतिविधियां, पत्र एवं ज्ञापन साझा कर रहे हैं। इसके अलावा केंद्र एवं राज्य सरकारों की घोषणाऐं एवं कोरोना संबंधी राहत कार्यों के बारे में भी जानकारी है। इस अपडेट को भेजने में विलंब हुआ इसके लिए हमे खेद है एवं आगामी अप्डेट्स समय पर भेजने की हम पूरी कोशिश करेंगे।
ज़िंदाबाद
रोज़ी रोटी अधिकार अभियान
रोज़ी रोटी अधिकार अभियान की गतिविधियाँ
राष्ट्रीय शोक दिवस: 1 जून को रोज़ी रोटी अधिकार अभियान ने अन्य नेटवर्क और संगठनों (जैसे कि NAPM, NFIW, BGVS और AIDWA) के साथ मिलकर तालाबंदी के कारण हुई मौतों को याद करने के लिए लिए 23 राज्यों में शोक दिवस आयोजित किया। पूरे देश में लोगों ने इस बात पर विरोध जताया कि बिना पर्याप्त तैयारी या राहत दिए देश में तालाबंदी लागू की गई। एफसीआई के गोदामों, पंचायत भवनों, नरेगा कार्यस्थलों और सड़कों पर छोटे-छोटे समूहों में लोगों ने विरोध प्रदर्शन किया। (प्रेस विज्ञप्ति- हिंदी / अंग्रेजी) और समेकित रिपोर्ट - हिंदी / अंग्रेजी मीडिया कवरेज: