Dear friends,

This update covers a sample of recent activities in different places, and some forthcoming events. A separate update on "employment guarantee" (the hot issue in the last few months) will follow as soon as possible. Meanwhile, if you are interested in regular updates on employment guarantee, please send a line to rozgar@gmail.com or take a look at the "employment guarantee" section of the campaign website (www.righttofoodindia.org) from time to time.

Today's headlines:

1. THE 2005-6 BUDGET

2. MID-DAY MEALS APPROACH UNIVERSAL COVERAGE

3. RECENT SUPREME COURT HEARINGS

4. SAVING THE "IMS ACT"

5. GUJARAT: RIGHT TO FOOD CONVENTION (6-7 DECEMBER, 2004)

6. DELHI: BRUTAL ATTACK ON PARIVARTAN ACTIVIST

7. MADHYA PRADESH: HUNGER-RELATED DEATHS IN SHEOPUR

8. KARNATAKA: NEWS FROM JAGRUTHA MAHILA SANGHATAN

9. CYCLE YATRA (MAHAD TO DELHI) TO BEGIN ON 20 MARCH

10. REMINDER: MEETINGS ON 9 MARCH AND 10 MARCH IN DELHI

11. OTHER FORTHCOMING EVENTS

1. THE 2005-6 BUDGET

The Union Budget 2005-6, presented on 28 February 2005, includes big increases for a range of food-related programmes. The central allocation for Mid-Day Meals has increased from Rs. 1,675 crores to Rs. 3,010 crores and the allocation for ICDS has increased from Rs. 1,645 crores to Rs. 3,142 crores. In his Budget speech, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said: "It is my intention to ensure that, in every settlement, there is a functional anganwadi that provides full coverage for all children" - a clear endorsement of recent Supreme Court orders on ICDS. However the financial allocations remain much below what is required for "universalization with quality", both for mid-day meals and for ICDS.

As far as the Employment Guarantee Act is concerned, the Finance Minister stated in his speech, "I promise to find the money for the programme" (we are saving this one-liner for future reference). Meanwhile allocations for Food-For-Work and SGRY (the "precursors" of the Employment Guarantee Act) have been boosted. The figures are not entirely transparent, because the "food component" of SGRY and FFW allocations does not appear in the Budget Papers. A note on this is available on request from rozgar@gmail.com. The bottom line is that allocations for SGRY and FFW are likely to rise by about 50% in 2005-6, compared with 2004-5, e.g. the cash component is due to increase from Rs 6,400 crores to Rs, 9000 crores. The anticipated grand total for 2005-6, if the food component is valued at the so-called "economic cost" of Rs 11/kg (the established practice), comes close to Rs 20,000 crores. If the food component is valued at market price or BPL price (a more sensible idea), the anticipated grand total is around Rs 15,000 crores. In spite of these substantial increases, the allocations fall far short of what is required to implement an Employment Guarantee Act in the initial 150 districts and continue SGRY in the other districts.

2. MID-DAY MEALS APPROACH UNIVERSAL COVERAGE

Further progress has been made towards universal mid-day meals in primary schools. The Supreme Court cracked the whip again on 17 October 2004 and directed all the "laggard" states to ensure that mid-day meals are introduced by January 2005. To the best of our knowledge, very few states if any are yet to initiate mid-day meals. However, the coverage remains incomplete in some states and of course the quality of MDMs leaves much to be desired in many places.

Since 1 September 2004, the central government has been providing financial assistance for mid-day meals to the tune of one rupee per child per day (in addition to free grain). State governments are expected to reciprocate by providing another rupee, so that the minimum national norm of "two rupees per child per day" (suggested by the Commissioners of the Supreme Court) is achieved everywhere. It is very important to ensure that state governments don't react to this enhanced central assistance by reducing their own contribution. If you suspect that this is happening in your state, please send a line to the Commissioners at commissioners@vsnl.net

A recent article in Frontline ("Noon Meal: A Progress Report" by Annie Zaidi) gives a useful overview of the mid-day meal situation in different parts of the country.

3. RECENT SUPREME COURT HEARINGS

Things have been rather quiet in the Supreme Court in recent months. The last hearing in the "right to food" case (PUCL vs Union of India and Others, Writ Petition [Civil] 196 of 2001) took place on 17 October 2004. Recent orders deal mainly with ICDS, mid-day meals, the Antyodaya programme, and related matters. The orders area available in the "Legal Action" section of the campaign website (www.righttofoodindia.org).

Meetings have also been held with the Ministry of Rural Development regarding the "BPL list", at the initiative of the Commissioners. The new BPL list, based on the 2002 BPL Census, has been "stayed" by the Supreme Court for nearly two years. The Ministry wants to go ahead with the new list but has agreed to put in place an effective appeal procedure for those who feel that they have been unfairly excluded from the list. The details of the proposed appeal procedure are awaited.

4. SAVING THE "IMS ACT"

A lively campaign is on to save the IMS Act from being repealed. "IMS Act" stands for the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 as amended in 2003. The aim of the IMS Act is to protect babies from harmful infant feeding practices promoted by commercial interests.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is proposing to repeal the IMS Act through the "Food Safety and Standards Bill 2005" (see www.mofpi.nic.in). The aim of this Bill is to bring about a single statute relating to food, with an emphasis on food safety. However, repealing the IMS Act would not contribute towards this aim.

On 8 February 2005, a meeting ("Coming together to save the IMS Act") was convened in Delhi by four leading national networks and organizations: Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), India Alliance for Child Rights (IACR), and Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI). Twenty-seven organizations representing public interest groups, public health groups, women's' groups, economists, health professionals, and several prominent individuals in the field of economics and health, came together to oppose the repeal of the IMS Act. "Peoples Petition: Save Babies by saving the IMS Act" was prepared and signed by all participants, for submission to the President, Prime Minister and other concerned Ministers. For further information please send a line to Arun Gupta (arun@ibfan-asiapacific.org) or Vandana Prasad (chaukhat@yahoo.com).

5. GUJARAT: RIGHT TO FOOD CONVENTION (6-7 DECEMBER, 2004)

Devgadh Mahila Sangathan (DMS), Panam Mahila Sangathan (PMS) and ANANDI organized a two-day convention in early December to discuss food insecurity in the adivasi belt of eastern Gujarat and to launch a state-level campaign for people's right to food (Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan). Participants came from eleven districts of Gujarat. The first day's discussion centred on the PDS, ICDS and SGRY. The faulty identification of BPL beneficiaries, irregular opening hours/days of the ration shop, wrong entries in ration cards, obstructive behaviour of dealers, etc., were some of the PDS-related problems that came up. DMS described how they had been able to improve the functioning of the PDS in their area by constant monitoring of the PDS and by pressurizing the administration. In relation to SGRY, corruption in payment of wages and the use of contractors were the two main issues. Poor quality of food provided through the ICDS, discrimination against tribal children in anganwadis and mid-day meals, irregularity of supplies were some of the problems in the food security schemes for children. On the second day of the convention, a jan sunwai (public hearing) on food security was organized.

The convention ended with a plan to continue to work on these issues and to generate greater awareness of food security issues, especially the Supreme Court's orders. Pressure on district authorities has been kept up after the convention by DMS, PMS and ANANDI to ensure that they do not forget the matter. This has included submitting written complaints, holding rallies, alerting authorities to instances of corruption, etc.

6. DELHI: BRUTAL ATTACK ON PARIVARTAN ACTIVIST

Earlier "updates" have often covered Parivartan's struggle to eradicate corruption from the public distribution system (PDS) in Delhi. Parivartan activists have been regularly harassed and threatened by local henchmen. In December, Santosh of Parivartan was brutally attacked and her throat was slashed with a knife (it is a miracle that she is still alive).

Repeated attempts to obtain justice did not get beyond vague assurances from the authorities. Recently the Chief Secretary was asked to address 21 common grievances within a prescribed time limit. A suggestion regarding a penalty for violating prescribed time limits was made. A draft of a legislation (People's Grievance Commission) to look into such matters was presented to the Chief Secretary. The draft can be obtained from parivartan@parivartan.com.

On 26 January, residents of Sundernagari decided to forego their rations unless they were given these with honesty, dignity and peacefully. Following this protest, we have received the following news from Parivartan: "Since 1st February, almost unbelievable things are happening in Sundernagari. The Delhi Government is keeping a strict vigil on each of the shops. The Food Inspector is moving around with a video camera to record the movement in each shop. The Assistant Commissioner and the Food Officer of the area are moving around in the area to ensure that the shops are open and there is sufficient stock. The shops which used to open for just a few days in a month are opening daily (even during the lunch hours!)."

A forum for whisteblowers, "Citizen's Forum Against Corruption" has also been formed. For further details please contact Naveen at tk.naveen@gmail.com.

7. MADHYA PRADESH: HUNGER-RELATED DEATHS IN SHEOPUR

In Sheopur district (MP), 13 children died in early February 2005 due to measles and related complications. These deaths are also due to the failure of basic food- and health-related services. According to the report of a medical team (dated 11 February, 2005), some of the complications arose because of the high levels of undernutrition among the children. In this Sahariya dominated area, recent Supreme Court orders have been brazenly violated. For instance, funds allocated for ICDS have not been fully utilized; many people are unable to lift their rations from the PDS because they do not have cards or because the shops remain closed. The Adviser to the Commissioners in Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Mihir Shah, has asked the district Collector to investigate these deaths and ensure that the Supreme Court's orders are implemented. A public meeting is likely to be held in Sheopur later this month - further details from Sachin Jain (rtfmp@rediffmail.com).

8. KARNATAKA: NEWS FROM JAGRUTHA MAHILA SANGHATAN (received from jms_chiguru@rediffmail.com)

"Jagrutha Mahila Sanghatan (JMS) is a collective of women agricultural labourers in Raichur (Karnataka), fighting for their socio-political and economic rights since the past five years. It has engaged in struggles for gender rights, campaigns against violence against women, caste atrocities and more importantly for political and economic rights through the serious drought from 2001-03 (minimum wages, drought relief, food for work, PDS and against mechanisation of harvesting) to ensure livelihood. The Sanghatan had a protest rally on 10th November, 2004 with the demands of right to food and livelihood with the recent supreme court order as a strong tool. We are also planning to continue this struggle forward and also be a part of right to food campaign."

9. CYCLE YATRA (MAHAD TO DELHI) TO BEGIN ON 20 MARCH

A cycle yatra for the rights of unorganised workers is due to start from Mahad in Maharashtra on 20 March, and to reach Delhi on 1 May after going through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. Key demands include a comprehensive legislation for unorganised workers and an immediate, full-fledged Employment Guarantee Act. This is an initiative of Asurakshit Kashtkari Sangharsh Samiti Maharashtra. For further info please contact Baba Adhav (tel 020-2421 0685 (h) and 2645 7307 (o)) or Subhash Lomte (09325212936, subhashlomte@rediffmail).

10. REMINDER: MEETINGS ON 9 MARCH AND 10 MARCH IN DELHI

A workshop on the public distribution system will be held at the Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Institutional Area (New Delhi) on Wednesday 9 March. The main purpose of the workshop is to guide legal intervention on the PDS, in the context of the public interest litigation initiated by PUCL-Rajasthan. For details, background material, etc. please send a line to Kumaran (kumran@gmail.com) or call Anoop (tel 9818653439).

The secretariat of the Right to Food Campaign is convening an important meeting on Thursday 10 March at the Indian Social Institute (10 am to 2 pm), to discuss forthcoming activities of the campaign as well as some organisational issues. The main items on the agenda are: further action for a full-fledged Employment Guarantee Act; further interventions in the Supreme Court; other proposed activities; suggestions for the next annual "convention"; and setting up of a new campaign secretariat in Delhi. For further details please send contact Navjyoti (nj12@rediffmail.com, tel 9811087811).

11. OTHER FORTHCOMING EVENTS

7-21 March: Campaign for Survival & Dignity dharna in Delhi with representatives from AP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Nagar Haveli, MP, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu to ensure the safe passage of "Scheduled Tribes & Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Bill 2005" in Parliament. For further details, contact Pradip Prabhu at kasht@sancharnet.in.

10-11 March: NACDOR is organizing a review of the 10th Five Year Plan at Rajendra Bhawan from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Various issues including food security and children's right to food will be discussed. For further details contact Mr. Ramanath (tel 3090 3429).

12-18 March: Training workshop in Udaipur, for activists working in "Food For Work" districts. Prior intimation from all participants is essential because of limited capacity (about 60-70 participants). If interested please contact Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan at mkssrajasthan@gmail.com

20 March: Cycle yatra for rights of unorganised sector workers starts at Mahad in Maharashtra (see above). For further info, contact Baba Adhav (tel 020-2421 0685 (h) and 2645 7307 (o)) or Subhash Lomte (09325212936, subhashlomte@rediffmail).

23-24 April: Convention on the right to work in Jodhpur, convened by NAFRE (National Alliance for the Fundamental Right to Education). Details awaited.

5 May: Rally of unorganised sector workers in Delhi, to submit a petition to the Petition Committee of Parliament. This rally is organised by the National Campaign Committee for Unorganised Sector Workers (NCC-USW). For details contact nccusw@vsnl.net