Lok Sabha Question No. 5858 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Computerisation of TDPS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: VINCENT H PALA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5858

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 rd  APRIL 2018

## COMPUTERISATION OF TDPS

## 5858. SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

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 proposed end-to-end Computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution  System  (TPDS)  Operations  have  been  completed,  if  so,  the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) the details  as  what  extent  the  e-PDS  has  helped  in  reducing leakages; and
- (c) whether  any  measures  have  been  taken  to  address  the  storage problems faced by the Food Corporation of India, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

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

- (a)  &  (b):  Department  of  Food  and  Public  Distribution  is  implementing  a Scheme  on  'End-to-end  Computerization  of  TPDS  Operations'.  Initially  the implementation of the project was slow and uneven across the country due to delay in finalization of action plans by States/UTs, late submission of their proposal for financial assistance  and  practical  problems  faced  during implementation of the project. However, due to vigorous efforts and constant monitoring of the project there has been significant progress in implementation of the project. Ration cards have been completely digitized in  all  States/UTs,  transparency  portal  and  online  grievance  rederessal facility/Toll-free  number  have  been  implemented  in  all  States/UTs,  online allocation has been implemented in 30 States/UTs and supply chain has been computerized  in  21  States/UTs.  The  validity  of  the  scheme  has  been extended  upto  31.03.2019  without  any  escalation  in  the  project  cost  to complete the project. To Identify and weed-out duplicate/ineligible beneficiaries, and to enable rightful targeting of food subsidies, all States/UTs  have  been  requested  to  seed  Aadhaar  numbers  in  Ration  Card database. At present overall seeding stands at 82.39% at the National level. As an outcome of digitization of RC/beneficiary records, de-duplication due to Aadhaar seeding, transfer / migration / deaths, change in economic status of beneficiaries, and during the run-up to and implementation of NFSA, a total of 2.75 Crore ration cards have been deleted/cancelled in 29 States/UTs during 2013-2017.

(c): On the basis of peak stock requirement during procurement season, the  overall  storage  capacity  required  for  central  pool  food  grains  in  the country  is  about  600  Lakh  Metric  Tonnes  (LMT).  Against  this,  the  total storage  capacity  available  with  Food  Corporation  of  India  (FCI),  Central Warehousing  Corporation  (CWC)  and  the  State  Agencies,  both  owned  and hired  capacity,  was  735.46  LMT  as  on  31.01.2018.  This  comprised  611.31 LMT in covered godowns and 124.15 LMT in cover and plinth (CAP) storage. As such, there is sufficient capacity for storage of central pool food grains at the national level.

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