The Secretariat of the Right to Food Campaign circulates via email regular updates covering a sample of the latest campaign-related news around the country. The campaign also used to maintains a separate set of rozgar updates which focus on the Employment Guarantee Act.
To sign up for RTF Updates, please contact the secretariat at righttofoodindia@gmail.com or directly sign-up here.
The next convention is scheduled from 23-25th September 2016 in Ranchi. From 1-10 June 2016, a survey of NFSA in 6 of India's poorest states in Eastern India was conducted by student volunteers On 26-27 July an NFSA review meeting will be held at Gandhi Peace Foundation in Delhi. The Supreme Court in May delivered a historic judgment in the Swaraj Abhiyan case ( full judgement) The 7th Pay Commission has a 25% increase in salary for government officials. In contrast MGNREGA workers have received a measly 3% Under the NFSA, every pregnant and lactating mother is entitled to Rs 6000 as maternity entitlements. In Rajasthan, activists of the SR Abhiyan embarked on a ‘Jawab Do’ dharna after a 100 day Jawab Dehi (Accountability) Yatra.
he Supreme Court has issued notice to the Ministry of Rural Development based on a PIL filed by activists on the NREGA Last year, the Central government had announced that drought-affected states would receive 150 days work in total
The next steering committee meeting of the campaign is scheduled for 15th February in Badu, West Bengal. The recently concluded World Trade Organisation Tenth Ministerial negotiations ended in disappointment The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Ministry of Rural Development based on a PIL filed in the Supreme Court A campaign delegation attended the South Asia dialogue on Right to Food in Dhaka, from 23rd to 25th The Campaign issued a statement in solidarity with the protests against the unofficial economic blockade of Nepal Bangladesh plans to enact a Food Law with the Law Commission tasked with preparing a draft law As a next step to build a fledgling South Asia Right to Food network, a meeting is planned in Badu, West Bengal
The Supreme Court, has allowed the use of aadhaar for PDS, NREGA, National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and others The Nobel Prize for Economics this year has been awarded to Angus Deaton who has written extensively on nutrition in India In an interview the Minister of Women and Child Development was quoted as lamenting the halving of her Ministry's budget Even after the NFSA has been rolled out, 2 cases of starvation deaths have been reported in the media in Chhattisgarh and Odisha The government has also issued a gazette notification on cash transfers in lieu of food security allowance The government has ordered a nationwide review of the NREGA The forthcoming Tenth Ministerial Conference of the WTO is in Nairobi, Kenya, between December 15-18th 2015 To mark the 10th anniversary of India's pioneering Right to Information Act there have been a series of media articles
Update (2 October 2015):
This map shows the rollout of the NFSA across India. From 1-11 October, the Jharkhand campaign with others have launched a Jan Adhikar Yatra across 4 different routes The West Bengal campaign has organised an extensive awareness yatra from 26th September - 9th October on 5 routes The NFSA in Odisha will be rolled-out with the distribution of ration cards on 2nd October Chhattisgarh which has its own food security legislation plans a Jan Adhikar Yatra in November The Bihar campaign had organised an extensive Jan Adhikar Yatra from Gaya to Samastipur from 26th July to 5th August 2015 The NFSA was implemented in Tripura and Meghalaya in September the Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan organised a public hearing on 22nd of September, 2015 at the Gandhi Peace Foundation. On 1st September, DBT was to be launched in 3 union territories of Chandigarh, Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli The Odisha government has increased the NREGA cap to 200 days per household
May Day Mazdoor Diwas NREGA Protests | #Haq Wapsi | UID in SC | Bihar NFSA | Puducherry Rice
Four campaigns held a joint dharna on the 23rd and 24th of April, 2015 in Delhi on the theme “Ghar Wapsi Nahi, Haq Wapsi The government has “illegally” delayed the National Food Security Act for the third time to 30th September 2015 The Ministry of Rural Development has announced that Aadhaar (UID) will compulsory for all NREGA workers from 1 April 2015 The Puducherry state government has wound up the largest PDS cash transfer initiative in the country for 3 lakh families The government has re-promulgated the land ordinance on 3rd April In Jharkhand, NREGA workers have received only 37 days in 2014-15 and over 30% of wage payments have been delayed On 1st and 2nd May across atleast 10 districts the Rozi Roti Adhikar Manch stormed block and district offices in Uttar Pradesh The Bihar state campaign organised a press conference on the eve of labour day to press for NREGA demands. Protests and dharnas to commemorate Mazdoor Diwas took place n West Bengal and Odisha as well 'Mazdoor Divas' was commemorated by a series of protest of workers (photos) from 16 blocks of 4 districts of Chhattisgarh
The Ministry of Rural Development clarifies that “registration of demand for work shall not be denied under any circumstances”
Week of Action | Budget Cuts | Cash Transfers | PM on NREGA | Land Ordinance | Maharashtra morcha | Bengal Workshop
The campaign has sent questions (English | Hindi) to Parliamentarians and plans to organise a “week of action” (English | Hindi). The campaign has issued a press statement (English | Hindi) The government has been insisting on aadhar as a precondition for pilots in the public distribution system (PDS) The Shantha Kumar High Level Committee recommends reducing the NFSA coverage (press statement and annexures) The Prime Minister made a startlingly unstatesmanlike statement on NREGA which is a lifeline for one-third of rural India More than 20,000 farmers, workers, tribals organised a maha-rally in Delhi (photos, press release, memorandum to the President) The Jharkhand state campaign had organised a convention on right to food and work (Photos, Media Coverage). On the slogan अच्छे दिन आ गए हैं, ग़रीब का राशन खा गए हैं। Anna Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA) in Maharashtra has planned a morcha. The West Bengal Right to Food Network is organising a workshop for the “Vigilance and Monitoring Committee" on the PDS
Update (20 February 2015): There is a serious fund squeeze due to illegal capping and rationing of funds released to the states. On 2nd February, a dharna was organised on MGNREGA and NFSA across 9 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The Gujarat Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan from 23rd February onwards in collaboration with the Zameen Adhikar Abhiyan
Update (28 December 2014):
Abki Baar Humara Adhikar Maha-Rally | NFSA Bihar SC/ST | #SaveNREGA | Jan Elaan | SECC Delayed | Eggs in Telangana
On 2nd December, more than 15,000 protesters converged in a maha-rally in New Delhi In the run-up to the Jharkhand assembly elections, on 20 November “Jan Elaan” Meeting was organised The SECC to identify beneficiaries under NFSA 2013, is more than two years behind its scheduled completion The Bihar government has accepted that all Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households will automatically included By September 2014, the draft list had been published in 16 districts of West Bengal but the data was riddled with errorsThe Chhattisgarh state campaign on 12 December organised a state level public dialogue on the public distribution system The Food Minister after a meeting with state food secretaries announced the 4 April 2015 deadline The government in the new state of Telangana in its latest budget has allotted Rs 221 crore to boost nutrition with eggs
The Rural Development Minister has proposed sweeping changes in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act The Central government has again extended the deadline for the implementation of the NFSA 2013 by 6 months to 4 April 2015 The HRD Ministry Standing Committee is seeking suggestions on the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme The Uttar Pradesh state campaign has had monthly meetings and has been on the streets protesting almost every month The Karnataka state campaign has organised a meeting on 3rd November
The Bihar government recently announced that in a mission-mode children eggs will be given twice a week in aganwadis In Odisha, the state serves eggs twice a week in school lunches and anganwadis which has boosted attendance and retention. In West Bengal children receive an egg in schools and half an egg in anganwadis once a week. In Andhra Pradesh, eggs or banana are also served twice a week in school and four times a week in anganwadis Arunachal Pradesh serves eggs thrice a week, while Assam and Tripura provide it twice a week. Unfortunately the Food Processing Minister had asked PepsiCo to introduce ready-to-eat foods in midday meals
Public Hearing in New Delhi | West Bengal Starvation Deaths | Jharkhand's 'Godam Kholo, Anaj Banto' | WTO Veto
Five national campaigns organised a public hearing in Delhi - invite, concept note, press release and some photos The campaign organised a press conference after the budget - press statement, short film and an analysis of the budget speech A fact-finding team to investigate starvation deaths in West Bengal - photos, report, letter to the Government and media coverage In Jharkhand villagers marched with the slogan ‘Godam Kholo, Anaj Banto’ - press release (English | Hindi), memorandum and photos. At a public hearing, the NREGA Sahayata Kendra exposed 6 middlemen trying to embezzle money - photos, press note (English | Hindi) In Jharkhand, there was also a state-level planning meeting - invite and press release A draft compilation from the states where the NFSA has been launched and the status of implementation The Indian government exercised its veto and refused to sign the Trade Facilitation Agreement at the WTO The office of the Supreme Court commissioner's on right to food has drafted a suggestive set of model rules An intensive participatory planning is going to be conducted in 2500 Blocks of the country - details available here The final Supreme Court order on the minimum wage case in Karnataka is a mixed judgement. 336 NREGA workers in Jharkhand receive unemployment allowance and for the first-time its recovered from officials - photo here
NFSA Deadline Extended by 3 months | Anda Abhiyan in Jharkhand and campaigns across states | Film on 'Universal Food Security'
Socio Economic Caste Census Verification | Jaipur Jan Samvad | Delhi Ration-Pension Yatra
5th National Convention in Gujarat | www.righttofoodcampaign.in | new MGNREGA wage rates and much more
NFSA launched in Bihar and Maharashtra on 1 Feb | WTO booklet in Hindi | Asli Gujarat ki Yatra
Right to Food Campaign's 5th National Convention in Gujarat
Implementation of National Food Security Act in Maharashtra Additional 50 days' employment in MGNREGA for ST households living in forest areas who have received land rights under FRA Letter of Working Group for Children Under Six to Jharkhand Government on notice inviting tenders for production of THR Public Hearing on 17 January in Delhi, organised by Pension Parishad Report of the state of food schemes in eight backward districts of Andhra Pradesh Second Issue of Food Security Watch Newsletter Events Calendar News and research Update (31 December 2013):
'Kaam Maango Abhiyan' has been launched to strengthen the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005
Rally in front of the state assembly was organised by the Odisha Shramjeevee Manch (OSM) Events
Update (10 December 2013):
RTF Updates: National Food Security Act 2013, WTO, Compensation for Delayed NREGA Wages and more
Campaign releases statement on safeguards while negotiating at the WTO Bali Ministerial Government Cracks Whip on Delays in NREGA Payments for Khunti Workers The 'National Convention' of the Right to Food Campaign is being planned for the 1st week of March An 'Organisational Convention' will be held in mid-December
Archive of RTF Updates (since 2003)
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