The public distribution system, which provides food at low prices, is a subject of vital concern. There is a growing realization that though Pakistan has enough food to feed its masses three square meals a day, the monster of starvation and food insecurity continues to haunt the poor in our country.
Increasing the purchasing power of the poor through providing productive employment, leading to rising income, and thus good standard of living is the ultimate objective of public policy. However, till then, there is a need to provide assured supply of food through a restructured, more efficient and decentralized public distribution system (PDS).
Although the PDS is extensive – it is one of the largest such systems in the world – it has yet to reach the rural poor and the far off places. It remains an urban phenomenon, with the majority of the rural poor still out of its reach due to lack of economic and physical access. The poorest in the cities and the migrants are left out, for they generally don not possess ration cards. The allocation of PDS supplies in big cities is large than in rural areas. In view of such deficiencies in the system, the PDS urgently needs to be streamlined. In addition, considering the large food grains production combined with food subsidy on one hand and the continuing slow starvation and dismal poverty of the rural population on the other, there is a strong case for making PDS target group oriented.
The growing salaried class is provided job security, regular income, and percent insulation against inflation. These gains of development have not percolated down to the vast majority of our working population. If one compares only dearness allowance to the employees in public and private sector and looks at its growth in the past few years, the rising food subsidy is insignificant to the point of inequity. The food subsidy is a kind of D.A. to the poor, the self-employed and those in the unorganized sector of the economy. However, what is most unfortunate is that out of the large budget of the so-called food subsidy, the major part of it is administrative cost and wastages. A small portion of the above budget goes to real consumer and an even lesser portion to the poor who are in real need.
It is true that subsidies should not become a permanent feature, except for the destitute, disabled, widows and the old. It is also true that subsides often create a psychology of dependence and hence are habit-forming and killing the general initiative of the people. By making PDS target group oriented, not only the poorest and neediest would be reached without additional cost, but it will actually cut overall costs incurred on large cities and for better off localities. When the food and food subsidy are limited, the rural and urban poor should have the priority in the PDS supplies. The PDS should be closely linked with programs of employment generation and nutrition improvement.
Q: What should be an appropriate step to make the PDS effective?
Through the U.S. prides itself on behing a leader in the
world community, a recent report shows that it lags far behind other industrialized
countries in meeting the needs of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
The U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate, a higher proportion of low birth
weight babies, a smaller proportion of babies immunized against childhood
diseases and a much higher rate adolescent pregnancies. These findings,
described as a quiet crisis requiring immediate and far-reaching action,
appeared in a report prepared by a task force of educators, doctors,
politicians and business people. According to the report, a fourth of the
nation’s 12 infants and toddlers live in poverty. As many as half confront risk
factors that could harm their ability to develop intellectually, physically and
socially. Child immunizations are too low, more children are born into poverty,
more are in substandard care while their parents work and more are being raised
by single parents When taken together, these and other risk factor can lead to
educational and health problems that are much harder and more costly to
reverse.
The crisis beings in the womb with unplanned parenthood.
Women with unplanned pregnancies are less likely to seek pre-natal care. In the
U.S. 80% of teenage pregnancies and 56% of all pregnancies are unplanned. The
problems continue after birth where unplanned pregnancies and unstable
partnerships often go hand in hand. Since 1950, the number of single parent
families had nearly tripled. More than 25 percent of all births today are to unmarried
mothers. As the number of single parent families grows and more women enter the
work force, infants and toddlers are increasingly in the care of people other
than their parents.
Most disturbingly, recent statistics show that American
parents are increasingly neglecting or abusing their children. In only four
years from 1987-1991, the number of children in foster care increased by over
50 percent. Babies under the age of one are the fastest growing category of
children entering foster care. The crisis affects children under the age of
three most severely the report says. Yet, it is this period-from infancy
through preschool years- that sets the stage for a child’s future.
Which of the following does not constitute the quite crisis in the U.S as per the task force report?
