People's Democracy

Five Crore Signatures for Food Security

The Left parties, the CPI(M), CPI, RSP & AIFB met in New Delhi on November 12, 2012. Prakash Karat, A B Bardhan, S Sudhakar Reddy, Sitaram Yechury, Debabrata Biswas, S Ramachandran Pillai, D Raja and Abani Roy attended the meeting. They have issued the following statement:

THE Left parties have been conducting a campaign and movement for a universal public distribution system and for an effective food security law which assures all citizens access to food.

The campaign conducted from July to September 2012 has met with a good response from the people in all parts of the country.

In order to intensify the campaign and widen the movement, the Left parties decided to conduct a countrywide mass signature campaign.

The Left parties have given a call to collect five crore signatures. Members and activists of the Left parties will go house-to-house to collect signatures in the months of December 2012 and January 2013.

The demands on which the signatures will be collected and submitted to the government are:

·        Set up a universal public distribution system without dividing the people into BPL and APL.

·        35 kgs of foodgrains should be supplied at not more than Rs 2 per kg and this should be provided for in the Food Security law.

·        No Cash transfer scheme in the public distribution system.