India's New Food Bill Attacks Hunger—We Hope

India's new National Food Security Bill 2011 appears to be an aggressive attempt to make cheap food available to more of its poor. The New York Times reports that 75 percent of rural households and 50 percent of urban households would receive aid from the plan, which would cost an additional $3.75 billion (200 billion rupees).

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Aside from the financial challenges the proposal poses and the trouble inherent in identifying all the households in need, experts say that the government's food distribution system is not as effective as it needs to be to carry out the plan. It's not even as effective as it needs to be to carry out the current plan.

The New York Times reports, "The bill does attempt to address the biggest shortcoming of the current system, which is that many of the poor do not get the subsidized food they are entitled to." The proposed solution includes a food security allowance, as well as what the Times of India calls a "three-tier grievance redressal system."

It's not a simple issue. Nonprofits are concerned that the men in these households might not use the security allowance on food, while critics point out that grievances would be heard by the same resource-strapped department from which the problems originated. Economists and government experts agree more money would be necessary to improve the infrastructure, which is central to solving the problem.

Without a clear plan to improve distribution, some consider the bold bill to be a play for votes in the upcoming elections. Parliament will continue discussions.