Expressing concern over suicides by farmers, the government on Thursday said the farm subsidy will not be withdrawn and there will be a review of its distribution in order to ensure that it reached the poor and marginal growers.
"We cannot wish away subsidies. There have been suicides by farmers," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after releasing the common minimum programme of the United Progressive Alliance.
"I cannot pronounce today that subsidies will be withdrawn," Singh said when asked whether the government was planning to end agriculture subsidies as it reached only the rich farmers.
However, he said, there would a review of the subsidies so that they reach poor and mariginal growers.
The UPA said it will work out a comprehensive medium term strategy for food and nutrition security in the next three months.
It said the government will strengthen the public distribution system, particularly in the poorest and backward blocks of the country.
Special schemes to make food grains available to the destitute and infirm will be launched. Grain banks in chronically food scarce areas will be established and Antodaya cards for all households at risk of hunger will be introduced, the CMP said.
The government will strive to bring improvement in the functioning of the Food Corporation of India to control inefficiencies that increase the food subsidy burden.
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