Lok Sabha Question No. 2678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-01
Subject: Issuance of Ration Cards
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY, LAXMAN GILUWA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2678 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01 ST  AUGUST, 2017

## ISSUANCE OF RATION CARDS

2678.

SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY: SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:

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 ration cards are not being issued by many States, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the provisions made by the Union Government in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  matter  regarding  negligence  has  come  to  light  in  this regard, if so, the details thereof during the last three years, State-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Central  Government  has  raised  this  issue  with  State Governments, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) 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): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the  joint  responsibility  of  the  Central  and  the  State/Union  Territory  (UT) Governments. Central Government is responsible for procurement, allocation  and  transportation  of  foodgrains  upto  the  designated  depots  of the Food Corporation of India. 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  of  functioning  of  Fair  Price  Shops  (FPSs)  rest  with  the concerned State/UT Governments.

As  per  clause  3  and  4  of  TPDS(Control)  Order,  2015,  State/UT Governments shall issue ration cards to eligible households.

National food Security Act, 2013 provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized  foodgrains  under  TPDS,  thus  covering  about  two-thirds  of  the population which results in a total of approximately 81.35 crore beneficiaries. Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs.

As per information made available by State/UT Governments, as on 18.07.2017,  23.15  crore  ration  cards  have  been  issued  by  States/UTs Government to eligible beneficiaries.

(c) to (e): There have been complaints about irregularities in the functioning of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) including non issuance of ration cards to eligible beneficiaries etc. in some States/regions in  the  country.  Since  operational  responsibilities  for  implementation  of TPDS within the State/UT rest with the State/UT Governments concerned, as  and  when  such  complaints  are  received  by  the  Government  from individuals, organizations, through press reports, etc., these are referred to the State/UT Governments concerned, if required, for inquiry and appropriate action. A statement indicating State-wise number of complaints on Targeted Public Distribution System [TPDS] received from 2014 to 2016 is at Annexure.

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## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  to  (e)  OF  THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2678 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 01.08.2017 IN THE LOK SABHA

## STATEMENT:   COMPLAINTS ON TPDS RECEIVED  IN THE DEPARTMENT FROM INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS & THROUGH MEDIA REPORTS ETC FROM 2014 TO 2016

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

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