Flour distribution practice needs to adopt modern methods.

Byline: Zeenia Satti

DISTRIBUTION management is a science. Are relevant government functionaries not educated in this science? Why is distribution of free aata frequently turning into a riot, a stampede, a brawl or a violent event which leaves some of the needy maimed for life, or injured for a long period, or dead?

The other day, TV news showed us that while collecting a sack of flour for her family, a woman was shoved around so violently by others who had gathered for collection of free flour that her arm broke. She was not even interviewed by any TV channel, simply shown as a statistic of one injured. She may be a worker whose salary is entirely reliant on her arm being functional at all times. She came for a sack of flour to relieve herself of the unbearable expense of having to buy one and left with a whole limb of her body she needs to earn a livelihood for life permanently crippled or weakened beyond repair. Affording critical medical care for a long time is obviously not an option for the poor. The government too cannot guarantee it.

The occasion to collect free groceries should not become an occasion for poor citizens to turn on each other or irreparably harm each other. A caring act of the government should not be allowed to degenerate into an indictment of systemic hunger forcing humans to behave like desperate animals. Deprivation is a bond. The deprived should be allies helping each other instead of shoving and pushing each other in a bid to be first past the goal post, convinced they will be returned empty handed if they don't make it.

Instead of collecting the needy at a distribution point, government should issue plastic cards with a certain monetary ceiling operative throughout the month and either mandate all local grocery stores to accept these in the same way they accept credit cards, for payments of sacks of flours, edible oil and whatever else to the government intends to provide free of cost or at subsidized rate, from customers or suffer fine and closure of their business. Most grocery stores have CCTV surveillance installed at the premises to deter looters and provide security to shoppers and shop keepers alike. In addition to CCTV cameras, most poor people have cellular telephones they can use as evidence of wrongful rejection if the shop refused to accept the plastic card as mode of payment from the poor.

The government must make prompt payment to the stores to make the program credible and keep it running. The...