Lok Sabha Question No. 2177 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-31
Subject: Hunger Death
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: DEVAJIBHAI GOVINDBHAI FATEPARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2177

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY, 2018

## HUNGER DEATH

## 2177. SHRI DEVAJIBHAI G. FATEPARA:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the recent reports of alleged starvation deaths in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and response of the Government thereto;
- (c) whether the Government has sought any report/response from the States in this regard especially from Gujarat;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and response of the State thereto; and
- (e) the steps taken to check recurrence of such cases?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e):   In so far as Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of  India  is  concerned,  no  State  Government/Union  Territory  Administration has  reported  any  incident  of  death  due  to  hunger/starvation.    There  have been  media  reports  of  starvation  deaths  in  some  states . However,  on enquiry, the State Governments informed that the allegations of deaths due to starvation have not been substantiated. State Government of Gujarat has also informed that there have been no deaths due to starvation in the state.

The Government has been providing food grains at highly subsidized prices to the targeted population through State Governments/Union Territory Administrations  under  the  Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS)  in terms  of  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013  and  Other  Welfare  Schemes (OWS s ).

National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA),  2013  provides  for  coverage  of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population , thus covering  about  two-third  of  the  population of  the  country  for  receiving foodgrains  @  of  Rs.  3,  2  &  1  per  Kg  for  rice,  wheat  &  coarse  grains respectively under TPDS.

This  Department  has  issued  instructions  to  all  States/UTs  that  no beneficiary/household shall be deleted from the list of eligible beneficiaries/households only on the ground of not possessing Aadhaar, and shall  also  not  be  denied  for  subsidized  foodgrains  or  cash  transfer  of  food subsidy under NFSA due to non-availability of Aadhaar or failure of biometric authentication due to network/ connectivity/ linking issues/ poor biometric of the beneficiary or other technical reasons.

Streamlining  and  upgradation  of  TPDS  is  a  continuous  process. Department of Food & Public Distribution is implementing a Scheme on 'Endto-End Computerisation of TPDS Operations' on cost sharing basis with the States/UTs. The Scheme consists of activities namely, digitization of ration cards/beneficiary  and  other  databases,  computerisation  of  supply-chain management,  setting  up  of  transparency  portals  and  grievance  redressal mechanisms and installation of ePoS devices at Fair Price Shops.

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