On the eve on the election results in UP, Indian Express journalist Tarannum Manjul spoke with Arundhati Dhuru (Supreme Court Appointed Adviser on Right to Food) on hunger in the state.

How does UP measure up on the Right to Food campaign and what is the view of the Supreme Court on it?

The state of Uttar Pradesh is really bad and senior officers are summoned every now and then. Projects like the midday meal and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) are not taken seriously in the state. The word of the Supreme Court is the only saving grace.

Where do you think that UP has failed in terms of providing food and basic amenities to it’s people?

If you look at the population of the state, then the task of ensuring that each and every person has at least one square meal a day is a mammoth one indeed. But one area in which UP is strongly lagging behind is the need for a serious approach to implementing the existing schemes.

How can you state that UP is not serious about the problem? After all, the problems might be different.

Well, poverty is a common problem in all states. Also, schemes being implemented here are the same as in other states. So how come states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, or for that matter even Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh fare better in their implementation? Look at it this way : The centre has a scheme called the Midday Meal, where it gives Rs 2.50 per child from it’s side and the state has to contribute a somewhat equal amount. A state like Tamil Nadu contributes as high as Rs 5 per child, while UP contributes just Re 1. So there is bound to be a difference. The Supreme Court says that as a part of the Midday Meal scheme, children should get a variety of food items, but then, what would you get for just Rs 3.50? Just khichdi and poor quality of food.

What about the other schemes which targeted at poverty Alleviation?

Looking at the state of affairs in UP, one can say they are also not satisfactory. The state government has made a mockery of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) by giving out berozgaari bhatta instead of work to the people. The centre had allocated around Rs 100 crore, but UP has not managed to use even Rs 1 crore so far. Besides, corruption is also very rampant in the Public Distribution System (PDS). The grains for those Below the Poverty Line (BPL) are not even distributed, and instead, sold in the black market.

What do you think is the biggest problem with the PDS system in the state?

The biggest problem with the PDS system is certainly not the unavailability of grains, but the allocation and distribution of those grains. Look at regions like Bundelkhand and Purvanchal. They suffer from sheer poverty. People are dying because they are not able to get one square meal a day, leave alone two. The grains meant for UP do move out from the godowns of the Food Corporation of India, but they never reach UP. The problem lies in the distribution, which should immediately be taken care of.

Since Bundelkhand is the biggest sufferer, what do you think should the government do for it?

The government should start implementing it’s schemes more seriously. There is no need for any special packages. If only the regular schemes like the Midday Meal and the NREGA are implemented well. Through the Midday Meal, they can provide one good meal a day to each child and through NREGS, work to every individual who wants to earn a living.

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