Heading For Grain Drain -

As Kirit S. Parikh points out, if FCI does not cover the whole country with an effective procurement network ensuring MSP to every farmer, the danger of destabilising food production and unsettling foodgrains trade is a very real one. This would suggest a more universal scheme while excluding the clearly identifiable rich. He also suggests that if cash is distributed instead of foodgrains, we can rely on markets and do not have to rely on FCI whose operations are more expensive than that of traders. It would eliminate the need for the FCI and even the PDS itself. I am reminded of an article written by the author in 1990s in this regard.