Soheb Lokhandwala
The recent economic survey has predicted a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate at 9 percent, which will bring cheers to few but not everyone unless the real inclusive growth trickle downside across all sections of society. The inflationary pressure has brought millions more under poverty from previous 77 percent according to Arjun Sengupta committee.
The vision of the Right to Food Bill is “food for all people at all time with sufficient, safe and nutritious food.” What a travesty where our food security is at stake with no visionary document for agriculture sustainability till next 20years. We dream of 4 percent and above growth in agriculture and then totally rely on rain. In case of no rain, there is droughts; and if it rains more, the crops are destroyed. Just take one example of lack of vision, when we have buffer crops, we do not have enough storage capacity nor is it distributed among the poor free of cost because which more than food grains worth more than Rs 50,000 crores (US$10 billion) is destroyed.
We have enough food for all, a good example was given by Jean Dreze that if we lay all our sacks of grain in vertical row, it will reach to the moon and can be back. Due to the climate change, we have seen crops failure around the world. Recently, China witnessed 70 percent decrease in the wheat production. Overall economic will crumble if we fail in agriculture. Do the central as well as state governments have the road map in agriculture sector for 2030?
In the health sector, we have the worst data even compared to sub-Saharan Africa. In India, around 47 percent are underweight and 74 percent of children below the agree of three, more than 90 percent of adolescent girls, 55 percent of women and 24 percent men suffer from anemia. Nearly 58 percent pregnant women are badly affected by the disease. Around 33 percent women and 25 percent men have body mass index (BMI) below normal. More than 1 lakh babies die just after their birth every year.
In order to solve this problem, we need to understand the concept of a prosperous state, which delivers all the good, better and best to its citizen equally. It is meant to serve poor and all those who need and deserves.
For developed and prosperous India, proper care of its citizen, solution of their issues and health care necessary.
