Suggestion for Odisha State Food Commission Rules,2016

To

TheJointSecretary                                                                                                               Date- 7.2.16

Department of Food Supply and Consumer Welfare

Govt. Of Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Sub- Suggestion for Odisha State Food Commission Rules,2016

Sir

In response to your advertisement published  in Odisha Gazette  on dated 25.1.16,  We  the  Civil Society Groups  working on Right to Food in the state assembled together  in a  State-level Consultation  meet held in Nehru Yuva Pratisthan, Bhubaneswar  on 2.2.16  with the objective  to debate and discuss the draft  Odisha State Food Commission Rules  and  make suggestions, if any required  for improvement of the Rules.

At the outset, members expressed their discontentment over the long delay  of the State Govt. to start the process of framing  the Rules for functioning of Odisha State Food Commission and noticed some of the provisions mindlessly drafted without going into details of the provisions of the Act. The State Govt. could have started the process much earlier   in order to strengthen Grievance Redressal mechanism  at District and State level. The house unanimously resolved to urge Govt.  to constitute independent  State Food Commission without designating  State Information  Commission as SFC  which is already overburdened with  pendency of more than 6000 cases.

However, the members discussed at length various provisions of the Draft Rules and came out unanimously with the following suggestions for its improvement.  These are  as follows.

1.       The  draft rules have been framed in exercise of the powers conferred  only by clause (f) of sub-section (2) of section 40 of the National Food Security Act 2013. These are  incomplete in many respect  keeping in view the total Section 40 of the Act.  The rest of the clauses (a) to (e) and (g) to (l) of sub-section 2 , of section 40 of the Act on which rules should have been framed have been ignored.  If  the rules/guidelines  already framed on other sub-sections, by means of notification(s)  publication(s) , the same  should  be collected together  and placed in  the Draft Rules in question for removing confusion and/or avoiding to refer to too many circulars/ notifications/ guidelines.

2.       To maintain utmost transparency  in selection  procedure  for appointment of Odisha State Food Commission,  there must be provision  in  Rule-3  of Odisha State Food Commission Rules,2016 to make an advertisement  publicly  inviting  applications from the interested persons  or nomination of  candidates  by anybody for the post of the Chairman or Members of State Food Commission  fixing time  limit. The  procedure  for details of  scrutinising the applications by the Search  Committee, criteria taken up,   citing reasons for  final selection of candidates  and rejection of candidature  should be publicly displayed  and available   under RTI Act.  The Search Committee should be little enlarged by taking some eminent members of public say from media, activists, IT professionals , retired judges etc.

3.         The provision   of  Rule-4  of Draft Rules “ The Chairperson and other Members  shall hold  office  for a term  of three years from the date  on which  he enters  upon his office “ should be withdrawn, as  the section 16 (4) of the Act  has already stipulated that  the  Chairman and every  other Member  shall hold office  for a tem  not exceeding five years from the  date on  which  he enters upon his office  and shall  be eligible  for  reappointment.

4.       The provision of Powers of the State Food Commission  under Rule-6 of  Draft Rules,2016   should be redrafted and revisited  following  the provision of functions  of the State Food Commission as per section 16 (6) of the Act. 

5.       The provision   i.e.,  power of the State Food Commission  (b) to organise  regional camps  for  building     awareness  about benefits  and entitlements  xx x x x x x x xxx  should be withdrawn.  This should be the function of  Nodal Dept. i.e.,  Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Department.

6.       There  must  be  provision  in Rule-10 ( procedure for  hearing Appeals)   that  the Commission  shall either  suo moto  or on receipt  of  complaint from anybody  inquire  into  violation of entitlements   under the Act.

7.       There must be  provision of  disposal of  complaint cases  of emergency  nature  within  7 days  and normal cases  within one month.

8.       There  should be  provision  that   the registration no.  of Complaint along with date  case should  be intimated   to the Complainant  within 3 days of receipt of  complaint via post or email or mobile message and put in website  of the Commission. The procedure adopted by National Human Rights Commission can be taken into  account.

9.       There   should be a Model Format (not compulsory format )  to guide the  beneficiaries  to the  file the complaints  along all relevant documents.

10.   The decisions of the Commission should be available in Odia . So that the common people  can understand  the  content of the decision.

11.   Clear rules should be framed as per clause (h) of sub-section (2) of Section 40 and section 27 of NFS Act regarding Transparency and Accountability. 

12.   The draft rules are silent on setting up  of vigilance committee(sec.29 of the Act)  at each level from state to fair price shop level.  While framing rules for setting up of vigilance committee at least two members of public should be included in such committees. 

The house  also  disapproved  the Project Director, DRDA designated by the State Govt.  to function as District Grievance Redressal Officer under NFSA and urged the Govt. to appoint an independent District Grievance Redressal Officer  at district level. It  is  also  suggested that  the State  Govt. should  frame rules  immediately   for functioning of  the office of  District Grievance Redressal Officer, procedure for receipt of  complaints,  time limit for disposal of complaints  complying  the requirement of section 15 of the National Food Security Act.  

We will be happy, if your august office can give us opportunity for discussion  about the  effective functioning of State Food Commission  and District Grievance Redressal Officer.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely

Pradip Pradhan

State Convener

Right to Food Campaign, Odisha

M-9937843482

Email-foodrightsodisha@gmail.com

Sanjukta Panigrahi

Pragatishila Mahila Sangathan

Bhubaneswar

Pratap Sahu

Convener,  Odisha Street Vendors’ Association

Kalandi Mallik

Samajik Samata Abhijan

Sanjay Sahu

Odisha Pension Parishad

Sudhir Mohanty

Advocate, Odisha High Court