Centre to give 17 million tonnes of ‘surplus food grains’ for making ethanol, even as millions starve

The Union Government has decided to use 17 million tonnes of “surplus food grains” for manufacture of ethanol, even as millions starve in the country.   

The decision to use 17 million tonnes of food grains for manufacture of ethanol was mentioned by Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey on Friday at a webinar organised by the Indian Sugar Manufacturers Association (ISMA). Apart from the food grains, like maize and rice, sugarcane molasses will also be used to manufacture ethanol, which will be blended with petrol to be used as fuel for automobiles.

In contrast, according to the World Food Programme of United Nations (WFP) per cent of Indian population lives on less than US $ 1.9 (around Rs 140) per day and one-fourth of the world’s undernourished population lives in India.

“India is home to a quarter of all undernourished people worldwide, making the country a key focus for tackling hunger on a global scale. In the last two decades, per capita income more than tripled, yet the minimum dietary intake fell. The gap between rich and poor increased during this period of high economic growth,” WFP country brief on India says.

On April 28, 2021, Save the Children issued a press note stating, “The number of children living in poverty and hunger in India could soar by millions as a result of the ongoing record surge in COVID-19 cases.”

India already has the largest population facing food shortages globally, with an estimated 189 million people in India already undernourished before the pandemic began. Save the Children expressed fears that due to the impact of the pandemic, these shortages might increase further.  

“Rising poverty, a lack of access to food, and the stretched health system could have a devastating effect on millions of children,” Save the Children warned. ​​​​​​​