For expanding work related to right to food and food security to the state level, Sampark provided a few fellowships to the social workers working in different regions of Madhya Pradesh. Though the fellowships given under Right to Food Campaign, the workers were expected to conduct activities to ensure implementation of eight major schemes linked to people’s welfare and food security. These schemes are run by the Government through panchayats. The workers were also expected to motivate and sensitise of the voluntary organisations in their operational areas to work on right to food.

Sampark coordinated this work from the year 2004 to 2006. During these two years, public distribution system and government income generation schemes were studied and associated issues were raised widely. Status of public distribution system was studied in seven districts and on the basis of this study six collective and 17 personal issues were brought into the notice of the District Collectors concerned through village secretariat. Probes were carried out in these issues and 14 personal and three collective issues were resolved. A state level public hearing was also carried out on public distribution system. A total of 620 people, including representatives of 44 voluntary organisations and people’s organisations participated in the hearing.

The most remarkable achievement of this programme was that several organisations joined hands to work on right to food. Better coordination has also been possible with people’s organisations. Media has also been sensitised and it prominently raised issues related to right to food. The Government accepted that it had failed to ensure access of the people to the people welfare schemes. At the community level, awareness about these schemes has increased and the people have started raising demand for these schemes in an organised manner.

Read Document: The Game of Targeted Public Distribution System in the Life of Tribal Communities of Madhya Pradesh