Question : STARVATION DEATHS

(a) whether the Government in consultation with the State Governments has formulated any scheme to check the starvation deaths during the calamities like drought and floods; and

(b) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)

(a)&(b): Based on the recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission on financing of relief expenditure on natural calamities for the period 2005-2010, the Government of India constituted an Expert Group to review and revise the extant items and norms of assistance from Calamity Relief Fund and the National Calamity Contingency Fund which included representatives of certain States and Central Ministries. Based on the recommendations of the Expert Group, Government of India has issued revision of norms and items of assistance from the Calamity Relief Fund and the National Calamity Contingency Fund with effect from June 2007.

The Government also implements a Village Grain Bank Scheme to provide safeguard against starvation during the period of natural calamity like floods etc. 16,478 Village Grain Banks (VGBs) have so far been sanctioned by the Department in 20 States since 2005-06 till date. For this purpose, an expenditure of Rs. 105.80 Crores has been incurred. Main objective of the scheme is to provide safeguard against starvation during period of natural calamity when marginalized food insecure households do not have sufficient resources to purchase rations.