Assessment of Programmes on National Food Security Mission in India with Special Reference to West Bengal

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Food security has been a cause of concern for the Indian economy as the physical and economic access to food with adequate calorie content from different sources has been on the wane over time. The per capita net availability of cereals and pulses declined from 510 gms per day in 1991 to 436 gms in 2008 as per data thrown by the Economic Survey, Government of India, 2009-10. On the other hand, the monthly per capita cereal consumption in India declined from 13.40 kg (NSSO 50th Round, 199394) to 12.72 kg (NSSO 55th Round, 1999-2000) and further to 12.12 kg (NSSO 61st Round, 2004-05) in rural areas. In urban areas a similar declining phenomenon was also noticed and the corresponding per capita consumption was 10.6 kg (NSS 50th Round), 10.42 kg (NSS 55th Round) and 9.94 kg (NSS 61st Round). In all the states of India, the same declining trend was observed. Such a situation is attributable to a host of important factors such as declining productivity growth in agriculture resulting from poor public investment, squeezing of cultivable area and rising food prices. The high level committee on the Long Term Grain Policy headed by Dr. Abhijit Sen arrived at an intermediate projection of 260 million tonnes of cereals requirement by 2020. With 219.21 million tonnes during 2008-09 (Advance Estimates, Economic Survey 2009-10, Government of India), more than 40 million tonnes of cereals are to be additionally produced to meet the demand of 2020. The revival of agricultural growth and raising it to 4 per cent per annum has been identified as one of the important strategies for achieving faster and inclusive growth and thereby accomplishing an overall target of 9 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth per annum in the 11th Five Year Plan. Apart from increased allocation of funds to agriculture and allied sectors and for rural development by more than 100 per cent and 118 per cent respectively for the two sectors over the 10th Five Year Plan, the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) has been launched in 312 identified districts of the country in 17 states to increase the cereal and pulse production by at least 20 million tonnes by 2012 apart from the usual year to year