AIAWU slams Union Govt over proposed ration quota cut
The All India Agricultural Workers’ Union (AIAWU) on Monday strongly condemned the Department of Food and Public Distribution’s proposed amendment to the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, labelling the move to alter ration quotas as “apathy towards the working class.”
The farm labourers’ body took sharp objection to the proposed bill, which seeks to replace the existing fixed foodgrain entitlement of 35 kg per household per month with a 7 kg per person monthly allocation, while retaining an overall household cap of 35 kg.
In a joint statement, AIAWU President A Vijayaraghavan and General Secretary B Venkat argued that the restructuring would severely hit large, impoverished families. “The Government claims this will fix inequitable distribution between small and large families. However, by capping the total monthly ration at 35 kg per household, families with more than five members will automatically receive less than the promised 7 kg per capita,” the leaders stated.
Citing recommendations from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which suggests at least 14 kg of foodgrains per person for healthy development, the union noted that medical experts and nutritionists have consistently demanded an increase, rather than a reduction, in existing quotas.
