Lok Sabha Question No. 1677 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Allocation of Foodgrains to Telangana
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: BOORA NARSAIAH GOUD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1677 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06 TH  MARCH, 2018

## ALLOCATION OF FOODGRAINS TO TELANGANA

1677. DR. BOORA NARSAIAH GOUD:

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

- (a) the details of allocation of rice, wheat, etc., sought by Telangana and made available to it in the last five years and the current year, year-wise, for distribution among BPL, APL and AAY families;
- (b) the  details  of  pulses  sought  by  Telangana  and  released  by  the Ministry during the above period, year-wise;
- (c) the reasons  that  the  Government  has  cited  for  discontinuing  the distribution of sugar through PDS by paying a fixed subsidy; and
- d) the reasons for restricting distribution of sugar to only AAY families from June this year?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## A N S W E R (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  Since  the  formation  of  Telangana  in  2014  foodgrains  were  allocated Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families  and  Above  Poverty  Line  (APL)  families  in  the  State.  In  addition, additional APL and BPL allocation were also made. Government of Telangana implemented  the  National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA)  from  October,  2015. Under  NFSA,  the  coverage  is  under  two  categories-  households  covered under AAY and PHH and foodgrains as per NFSA norms are being allocated to Telangana for the identified eligible households under NFSA. In addition, tide over  allocation  of  foodgrains  is  being  made  to  Telangana  to  protect  their average annual offtake under erstwhile TPDS. Details of foodgrains allocated to Telangana during the last three years and current year is placed at Annex.

The  Central  Government  has  decontrolled  the  sugar  sector  by removing the levy obligation on sugar mills from 2012-13 sugar season. After deregulation, a new dispensation for distribution of sugar under PDS was put in  place  w.e.f.  01.06.2013  wherein  State  Government/UT  Administrations were  required  to  procure  sugar  from  the  open  market  through  transparent system. The Central Government had been reimbursing a fixed sugar subsidy @  Rs.  18.50  per  kg  to  the  participating  states/UTs  towards  distribution  of sugar  under  Public  Distribution  System  (PDS)  to  the  targeted  population covering  BPL  population  and  all  the  population  of  North  Eastern  States /Special  Category  States/Hilly  states  and  Island  Territories  as  per  2001 Census.  The  sugar  distributed  in  PDS  under  sugar  subsidy  scheme  by  the Government of Telangana from the FY 2014-15 to 2016-17 is as under-

|   Sl.No | Financial Year   |   Sugar distributed (In MT) |
|---------|------------------|-----------------------------|
|       1 | 2014-15          |                     43143   |
|       2 | 2015-16          |                     48143   |
|       3 | 2016-17          |                     45773.9 |

The  National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA),  2013  is  now  being  universally implemented  in  the  entire  country.  There  is  no  identified  category  of  BPL under the NFSA, 2013. However, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries are clearly identified. The Government has reviewed the sugar subsidy  scheme  in  May  2017  and  has  decided  to  continue  it  only  for  AAY families.  Under  the  scheme,  the  Central  Government  reimburses  a  fixed subsidy of Rs. 18.50 per kg @ 1 kg per month per AAY family to participating States/ UTs. The States/UTs are also allowed either to absorb the additional cost on account of handling, transportation and dealer's commission or pass it on to the consumer by adding it to the Retail Issue Price (RIP) of Rs. 13.50 per  kg  under  the  Public  Distribution  System  (PDS).   The  Government  of Telangana is participating in the sugar subsidy scheme for AAY families. The annual quota of sugar of Telangana state under the sugar subsidy scheme for AAY families is 7190 MT.

- (b): During 2016-17, 1999.365 tons of tur was supplied to Telangana from buffer stock of pulses.
- (c) & (d): The Central Government has not discontinued the distribution of sugar  in  PDS.  The  sugar  subsidy  scheme  has  been  continued  with  the coverage of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families in order to give access to consumption of sugar, as source of energy in diet, for the poorest of the poor section of the society i.e. AAY families. The Central Government continues to reimburse  a  fixed  subsidy  of  Rs.  18.50  per  kg  @  1  kg  per  month  per  AAY family to participating States/ UTs.

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ANNEXURE ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO PART (a) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1677 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 06.03.2018

IN THE LOK SABHA. (Figure in thousand tons)

| Year         | Commodity   |     BPL |     AAY |    APL* |     NFSA |   Tide over |    Total |
|--------------|-------------|---------|---------|---------|----------|-------------|----------|
| 2014-15      | Rice        | 328.887 | 204.534 | 604.692 |    0     |       0     | 1138.11  |
| 2014-15      | Wheat       |   0     |   0     |  58.332 |    0     |       0     |   58.332 |
| 2014-15      | Total R+W)  | 328.887 | 204.534 | 663.024 |    0     |       0     | 1196.44  |
| 2015-16      | Rice        | 219.258 | 136.356 | 381.99  |  599.97  |      19.422 | 1357     |
| 2015-16      | Wheat       |   0     |   0     |  59.076 |   48.054 |       1.554 |  108.684 |
| 2015-16      | Total R+W)  | 219.258 | 136.356 | 441.066 |  648.024 |      20.976 | 1465.68  |
| 2016-17      | Rice        |   0     |   0     |   0     | 1272.02  |      23.694 | 1295.72  |
| 2016-17      | Wheat       |   0     |   0     |   0     |   24.026 |      18.257 |   42.283 |
| 2016-17      | Total R+W)  |   0     |   0     |   0     | 1296.05  |      41.951 | 1338     |
| 2017-18      | Rice        |   0     |   0     |   0     | 1080.04  |       0     | 1080.04  |
| (Upto Jan'18 | Wheat       |   0     |   0     |   0     |    0     |      34.96  |   34.96  |
| (Upto Jan'18 | Total R+W)  |   0     |   0     |   0     | 1080.04  |      34.96  | 1115     |

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