Lok Sabha Question No. 6199 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-11
Subject: Effectiveness of TPDS and NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN, A.P. JITHENDER REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6199 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  APRIL, 2017

## EFFECTIVENESS OF TPDS AND NFSA

6199.   SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN:

SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY:

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  Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS)  and  National Food  Security  Act  (NFSA)  have  been  effective  to  mitigate  the  issues  of hunger and malnutrition in the country, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the India State Hunger Index has also been prepared, if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto indicating the number of deaths due to hunger in each State during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether the Government has received any report regarding death of children due to starvation/hunger and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (d) whether the schemes being implemented to eliminate hunger/starvation among children has failed to achieve their objectives and if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken in this regard; and
- (e) the steps being taken to achieve Millennium Development Goals with regard to elimination of hunger along with the success achieved therein?

## A N S W E R

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

(a)  to  (e):  The  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013  (NFSA),  which  came  into force w.e.f. 5 th  July, 2013 seeks to provide for food and nutritional security in human  life  cycle  approach,  by  ensuring  access  to  adequate  quantity  of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.  NFSA provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population at the all India level thus covering about two-third of the population, for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution  System  (TPDS). Under  the  Act,  foodgrains  are  allocated  @  5kg per person per month for priority households and @ 35kg per family per month for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households at highly subsidized prices of

Re.1/-, Rs.2/- and Rs.3/- per kg for coarse grains, wheat and rice respectively.

As  of  1 st   November,  2016  all  the  36  States/UTs  have  implemented NFSA  and  are  being  allocated  foodgrains  as  per  their  entitlement  under

NFSA.

In  order  to  eliminate  the  problem  of  hunger/starvation/malnutrition and  to  provide  food  security  to  the  vulnerable  population,  the  Government has  also  been  providing  food -grains  at  highly  subsidized  prices  to  the targeted population through State Governments/Union Territory Administrations under Other  Welfare  Schemes  (OWS)  as  well  besides allocation  under  NFSA,  such  as  Mid-Day  Meal  Scheme,  Integrated  Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls, Annapurna Scheme  etc.

The Act also has a special focus on nutritional support to women and children . Pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers  are  entitled  to  receive meals  as  per  nutritional  norms.  Children  upto  14  years  of  age  are  also entitled  to  nutritious  meals  or  take  home  rations  as  per  the  prescribed nutritional standards.  In case of non supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries receive food security allowance.

During the year 2015-16, the Govt. of India has allocated 611.10 lakh tons of foodgrains under TPDS, NFSA and OWS.  During the year 2016-17, the Govt. of India has allocated 628.91 lakh tons of foodgrains under TPDS, NFSA

and OWS.

No State Government/Union Territory Administration has reported any incident of death due to starvation so far.

Government of India doesn't maintain any India State Hunger Index.

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