Unrelenting Inflation

Posted: To THE HINDU on 6 May 2008

There has been a lot of clamor over the rising prices of the food products especially the skyrocketing imports and a lot of methods have been proposed like Food Procurement, banning of futures trading, but all these happen to be short term measures. The leaders have to come to terms with the fact that ultimately there is no alternative to self sufficiency in food crop production. And it is crystal clear that there are no detours to it. The government has to harness Indias resources to rein in inflation in the long run. Promotion has to be given to Food Crop cultvation over Bio-Fuels and cash crops again this wont happen in a month, farmers need to be given real long term incentives not mere pre-election sops. Strong impetus must be laid on bringing unirrigated land under irrigation, if not by constructig new dams then by atleast consummating the "hung projects". Consider the example of the Telangana region. The region is supposed to one of the most fertile regions but is unused due to improper irrigation facilities. Telangana has numerous projects that could have changed the fate of the region but are just not operational eg : BHIMA , KALWAKURTHY, NETTAMPAD,SLBC TUNNEL CANAL,NAGARJUSAGAR TAIL POND on river Krishna and YELLAMPALLI,DEVADULA,DUMMUGUDEM,LENDI,GUPTA,ALISAGAR,PRANAHITA,LOWER PENUGANGA on river Godavari. Had these projects been fructified we would have been in a much more cushioned state. Similar is the plight of regions like Bundelkhand,Vidarbha.