Meet on Kerala food security scheme called off as CPI, CPM trade blows

The state planning board had urged the state Government to go for the IFS programme considering the state’s precarious food situation: Kerala does not produce even one-fourth of its required rice and very little of other foodstuff, while prices are going up steadily.

The programme’s basic objective is to increase paddy output from 6.3 lakh tonnes logged in 2005-06 to at least 9.45 lakh tonnes by 2011-2012. The IFS idea aims to up state’s milk production from the current 20.63 lakh tonnes to 35 lakh tonnes, and that of eggs from the present 1,196 million to 2,395 million.

The annual plan had projected Rs 200 crore for paddy development, Rs 100 crore for integrated cattle development programme and Rs 6 crore for dairy development on a sustainable commercial basis, apart from Rs 4 crore for the urgently needed mechanisation. A two-tier structure, involving a committee chaired by the CM and seven ministers as members to oversee the programme and a sub-committee with the state Agriculture Production Commissioner heading 25 handpicked expert members in an executive role, was what the state planning board proposed.

The CPI, whose ministers hold both the food and agriculture departments, initially wanted the programme committee’s chairmanship for itself, but later climbed down to grant it to the CM. Trouble began when it insisted that the Government fork out Rs 200 crore for the IFS programme separately, and not expect the ministries it held to cough up the funds. The CPI(M), however, insisted that the money should be pooled from all departments, including those that the CPI held.

Tuesday’s meeting, however, could spell a lot more trouble for the CPI. Sources said all other Left constituents had jointly opposed the CPI and isolated it, before the meeting was called off.

The IFS issue, however, is only the latest in the series of spats involving the two parties almost from the time the VS Government was formed two years ago. CPI ministers have been either vocal against the Government or have asserted themselves in several of VS’s populist initiatives — including the Munnar eviction fiasco — and almost all senior leaders of both sides have openly attacked each other.

A miffed VS left for New Delhi after the abortive meeting to call on ailing party veteran Harkishen Singh Surjeet. The IFS programme, which Planning Board sources said would be the state’s last hope, will now have to wait for VS to return before the LDF could make another attempt at finding a solution.