'As PM, I cannot let any Indian go without food'

New Delhi: As the nation mourns the loss of one of its most respected statesmen Manmohan Singh, his former Food and Agriculture Secretary T Nanda Kumar shared his memories of working with the former prime minister during some of India's most challenging times. Recalling his first one-on-one meeting with Singh in 2006, Nanda Kumar said India was facing a shortage of what at that time and it was decided to import it, sparking criticism from several quarters. Nanda Kumar said he went to the prime minister to talk over the issue.

"He heard me patiently and explained, like the professor he was, the need to augment supplies when demand outstripped availability. He told me, 'as prime minister, I cannot let any Indian go without food'. That summed up the basis of his decisions," Nanda Kumar recounted.

"This ethos guided Singh's leadership during crises," Kumar said. "In 2007, when I raised concerns about recurring shortages, Prime Minister Singh encouraged me to develop solutions."

The outcome was the launch of several key initiatives such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana to boost agricultural productivity, the National Food Security Mission to enhance rice and wheat yields, and an increase in buffer stock norms by five million tonnes to prepare for emergencies, he added.

During the 2008 global food crisis, Nanda Kumar had to propose a ban on non-basmati rice exports to secure domestic supplies.

He said PM Singh firmly supported the move despite resistance. "I have to take care of the needs of my countrymen and women before sending food to other coun-tries," Nanda Kumar recalled the prime minister having said.

According to Kumar, this decision proved critical during the 2009 drought, ensuring food security with-out resorting to imports.