Lok Sabha Question No. 3491 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-08
Subject: Selling of Spurious Rice
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RANJANBEN BHATT, SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3491 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 th  AUGUST, 2017 SELLING OF SPURIOUS RICE

## 3491.   SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT: SHRI SADASHIV LOKHANDE:

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  selling  of  damaged  rice  which  is  harmful  for  health  is going on in various parts of the country, if so, the details of the steps taken or likely to be taken by the Government to check it;
- (b) the time by which the remedial steps are likely to be taken and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  complaints  of  large  scale black marketing of wheat and other foodgrains in fair price shops;
- (d) if so, the steps taken to arrest the culprits; and
- (e) the  number  of  persons  arrested  in  such  raids  and  the  action  taken against them?

## A N S W E R

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

- (a) & (b): There is a well-defined procedure for sale of damaged foodgrains from  Central  Pool  Stocks  in  Food  Corporation  of  India  (FCI).  Foodgrains accrued  as  damaged/  non-issuable  in  storage  are  sold  to  the  parties registered with FCI for purchase of damaged foodgrains through tender for non-human  consumption  uses  such  as  Feed-I,  Feed-II,  Feed-III,  Industrial use, Manure and Dumping. As per terms and conditions of the tender, failure on the part of buyers to render full and satisfactory accounts of the use of damaged stocks will constitute a breach of contract and in such events, the security deposits made by the buyer would be forfeited without prejudice to the  right  of  FCI  to  initiate  legal  proceedings  against  the  buyer.  The  State Government and FCI offices are also informed about the stock sold to the parties and requested to monitor their use for ensuring that damaged / nonissuable foodgrains are not misused for human consumption.

(c), (d) & (e): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the  joint  responsibility  of  Central  and  State/UT  Governments.  Central Government is responsible for procurement, storage, allocation and transportation  of  foodgrains  upto  the  designated  depots  of  the  FCI.  The operational  responsibilities  for  allocation  and  distribution  of  foodgrains within  the  States/UTs,  identification  of  eligible  beneficiaries,  issuance  of ration cards to them and supervision over and monitoring the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc. rest with the concerned State/UT Governments.

The  complaints  about  irregularities in  the  functioning  of  the TPDS such  as,  issuance  of  cards  to  ineligible  persons,  distribution,  leakages, diversion,  etc. in  the  States/UTs  are  received  by  the  Government  from individuals, organizations and press reports.  These complaints are referred to  the  concerned  State/UT  Governments  for  appropriate  action.  State/UTwise  details  of  the  complaint  received  during  the  last  three  years  and current year is at Annex.

Under  TPDS  Control  Order,  2015,  the  State/UT  Governments  are responsible  for  implementing  TPDS  and  are  competent  to  take  action against those indulging in malpractices in  TPDS by  invoking provisions of relevant clauses of the said Order.  An offence committed in violation of its provisions is  liable  for  penal  action  under  the  Essential  Commodities  Act, 1955.

****

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c), (d) & (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3491 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 th  AUGUST, 2017 IN LOK SABHA

## STATE/UT-WISE DETAILS OF THE COMPLAINT RECEIVED DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS AND CURRENT YEAR (upto 30.06.2017)

| S. No.   | State/UTs         | 2014   | 2015   | 2016   | 2017   |
|----------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 4      | 8      | 5      | 3      |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 1      | 1      | -      | -      |
| 3        | Assam             | 5      | 34     | 32     | 8      |
| 4        | Bihar             | 55     | 106    | 81     | 52     |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 3      | 6      | 9      | 2      |
| 6        | Delhi             | 78     | 113    | 91     | 51     |
| 7        | Goa               | -      | -      | 1      | -      |
| 8        | Gujarat           | 16     | 8      | 12     | 1      |
| 9        | Haryana           | 26     | 35     | 34     | 27     |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh  | -      | 4      | 5      | 3      |
| 11       | J&K               | -      | 5      | 3      | 2      |
| 12       | Jharkhand         | 16     | 32     | 29     | 10     |
| 13       | Karnataka         | 6      | 16     | 22     | 17     |
| 14       | Kerala            | 1      | 16     | 22     | 10     |
| 15       | Madhya Pradesh    | 7      | 17     | 24     | 12     |
| 16       | Maharashtra       | 25     | 48     | 62     | 20     |
| 17       | Manipur           | 1      | 6      | 4      | 1      |
| 18       | Meghalaya         | 2      | 7      | 9      | -      |
| 19       | Mizoram           | -      | -      | -      | 1      |
| 20       | Nagaland          | 3      | -      | 2      | 2      |
| 21       | Orissa            | 8      | 22     | 43     | 9      |
| 22       | Punjab            | 5      | 10     | 7      | 1      |
| 23       | Rajasthan         | 31     | 33     | 59     | 35     |
| 24       | Sikkim            | -      | -      | -      | -      |
| 25       | Tamil Nadu        | 7      | 22     | 33     | 10     |
| 26       | Telangana         | -      | 10     | 1      | 2      |
| 27       | Tripura           | -      | -      | 1      | -      |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 8      | 24     | 21     | 14     |
| 29       | Uttar Pradesh     | 137    | 197    | 461    | 223    |
| 30       | West Bengal       | 11     | 32     | 29     | 31     |
| 31       | A&N Island        | -      | -      | 1      | -      |
| 32       | Chandigarh        | 3      | 6      | 2      | -      |
| 33       | D&NHaveli         | 1      | -      | 1      | -      |
| 34       | Puducherry        | -      | -      | -      | -      |
|          | TOTAL             | 460    | 818    | 1106   | 547    |

*****