The Hindu : It's an inevitable climbdown

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 02, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

It's an inevitable climbdown

By V.Jayanth

CHENNAI Feb. 1. In a clear reversal of what the Government maintained was a ``well-thought out'' decision, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, announced, within a fortnight, the scrapping of the free meal scheme for small and marginal farmers, in addition to farm labour. Stating her Government was open and responsive to Opposition or public criticism and suggestions, she did exactly what political leaders and farmers associations had been demanding - supply of 30 kg of rice a month, free to each registered family, through the public distribution system.

Another significant announcement in her reply yesterday to the debate on the Governor's address to the legislature was building a new Secretariat, on the Marina itself. Openly acknowledging that the `Administrative City', planned on the Old Mahabalipuram Road, was a ``dream project'', which could take 15, 20 or 25 years - even longer perhaps - Ms. Jayalalithaa said her Government had taken a more ``realistic'' decision to construct a Secretariat complex, on government land along Kamaraj Salai, between Queen Mary's College and the Vivekananda House.

Winding up the meal scheme appeared inevitable. From the day it was announced and even after it was launched on January 15, the Opposition parties and farmers associations opposed the project on several counts - it was not suitable to farmers and farm workers; the location of meal centres was not convenient; those going in search of work could not avail themselves of free meal and emotively, it hurt their sentiments to go and receive the food in a `bowl' every day.

They were unanimous in their demand that the Government, instead of taking on this feeding business, could as well distribute rice and let the families cook meal at their own convenience.

The Chief Minister described the demand as another piece of criticism ``by the Opposition and a section of the media''. But within 15 days, she bowed under pressure.

As for the State's reform process, it was `one step forward and two steps back'. The feeding programme was supposed to be ``clearly targeted'' at the really needy, a short-term intervention to prevent starvation or malnutrition. It was expected to be less of a burden on the State's coffers, already under a severe stress because of an unprecedented fiscal crisis.

Now, by accepting the demand for free distribution of rice, the Government is adding to its burden - apart from the existing stock of rice, the State is seeking a special allotment from the Central pool as part of the drought-relief package. This will cost the State Rs. 5.65 a kg and will have to be distributed free to over 10 lakh families.

Officials hope that once the `food-for-work' programme is launched, the free rice scheme can gradually be contained. There are fears of more demands being made for rice and of a `diversion' of the foodgrains to the `market' for cash. That was why officials opposed the proposal, in addition to the reason of a higher food subsidy bill, which was contained last year.

As for the new Secretariat building, the Chief Minister's reasoning is that the Administrative City is a long-term solution; the Government needs `interim relief' to relieve the congestion at Fort St. George, which, for all practical purposes, remains in the custody of the Archaeological Survey of India.

The plan seems to be to build a block for the Ministers and top officials, with a multistoreyed building for key departments. The existing facilities at Fort St. George will not be abandoned, and can be used to house other government agencies, now working on rented premises in the city, say officials.

But this proposal too is bound to raise a controversy - Should there be a multistoreyed building on the Marina, when conservationists struggled hard, not long ago, to stay a similar proposal for police headquarters?

The residents in slums near the proposed site have already raised their protest, even as the entire stretch of the beachfront beyond the Light House may be cleared for another of the Government's ambitious programmes.

A Congress legislator said: ``This is becoming a Thuglak durbar, with new announcements every day. The whole problem is lack of consultation and transparency in the decision-making process''.

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