Lok Sabha Question No. 59 (STARRED), answered on 2018-02-06
Subject: National Food Security Act
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SONA RAM CHOUDHARY

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 59

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018

## NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT

- *59. COL. SONARAM CHOUDHARY:

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 salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013 alongwith the mechanism in place to implement it;
- (b) whether the Government has received complaints that the benefits of the scheme are not reaching the beneficiaries and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any action has been taken against the culprits on the basis of the said complaints;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  concrete  steps  being  taken  for  effective  implementation  of  the said Act and providing benefits to the eligible persons?

A N S W E R

MINISTER OF  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAMVILAS PASWAN)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) of STARRED QUESTION NO. 59 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 06.02.2018 IN THE LOK SABHA

- (a):    Salient  features  of  the  National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA)  are  at Annexure-I. Foodgrains under the Act are distributed through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which is  operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and 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  of  foodgrains  within  the  States/UTs,  identification  of  eligible beneficiaries/  families,  issuance  of  ration  cards  to  them,  distribution  of foodgrains to eligible beneficiaries under TPDS and supervision over and monitoring  of  functioning  of  Fair  Price  Shops  (FPSs),  etc  rest  with  the concerned State/UT Government.
- (b)  to  (d):          There  have  been  complaints  about  irregularities  in  the functioning of TPDS including leakage/ diversion of foodgrains, foodgrains not  reaching  the  intended  beneficiaries,  issuance  of  ration  cards  to ineligible  persons,  etc  in  some  States/regions  in  the  country.  As  stated above,  TPDS  is  operated  under  joint  responsibility  of  the  Central  and State/UT  Governments, therefore,  as  and  when  complaints  are  received by the Government from individuals and organizations as well as through press reports, these are referred to the State/UT Governments concerned, for  inquiry  and  appropriate action. A State/UT-wise statement indicating number  of  such  complaints  received  during  the  last  three  years  and current year is at Annexure-II.
- (e):        For  better  targeting  of  benefits  under  the  Act,  the  Government  is implementing computerization of TPDS operations, which covers digitization of beneficiary  database,  online  allocation  of  foodgrains, computerization of supply chain management, online grievance redressal mechanism,  transparency  portals  and  use  of  electronic  point  of  sale devices  for  authentication  of  beneficiaries  and  electronic  capturing  of transactions.

***

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 59 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 06.02.2018 IN THE LOK SABHA

## SALIENT FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT, 2013 (NFSA)

1. Coverage and entitlement under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS): Coverage of upto 75%  of  the  rural  population  and  50%  of  the  urban  population  under  two  categories  Households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority households. While AAY households, which constitute poorest of the poor, are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month, priority households are entitled to 5 kg per person per month.
2. State-wise coverage: Corresponding to the all India coverage of 75% and 50% in the rural and urban  areas,  State-wise  coverage  to  be  determined  by  the  Central  Government.  The  then Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) has determined the State-wise coverage by using the NSS Household Consumption Survey data for 2011-12.
3. Subsidized prices under TPDS and their revision: Foodgrains under TPDS to be made available at subsidized prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains for a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act. Thereafter prices to be as fixed by the Central Government from time to time, not exceeding MSP. It has been decided by the Government to continue the above mentioned subsidized prices upto June, 2018.
4. In  case,  any  State's  allocation  under  the  Act  is  lower  than  their  current  allocation,  it  will  be protected  upto  the  level  of  average  offtake  under  erstwhile  normal  TPDS  during  2010-11  to 2012-13,  at  prices  to  be  determined  by  the  Central  Government.  Prices  for  APL  households under  erstwhile  TPDS  i.e.  Rs.  6.10  per  kg  for  wheat  and  Rs.  8.30  per  kg  for  rice  has  been determined as issue prices for the additional allocation to protect the average offtake during last three years.
5. Identification of Households: Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs.
6. Nutritional  Support  to  women  and  children: Pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers  and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms  under  Integrated  Child  Development  Services  (ICDS)  and  Mid-Day  Meal  (MDM) schemes. Higher nutritional norms prescribed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age.
7. Maternity Benefit: Pregnant women and lactating mothers entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.
8. Women Empowerment: Eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above to be the head of the household for the purpose of issuing of ration cards.
9. Grievance  Redressal  Mechanism: Grievance  redressal  mechanism  at  the  District  and  State levels.
10. Cost of intra-State transportation & handling of foodgrains and FPS Dealers' margin: Central Government  to  provide  assistance  to  States  in  meeting  the  expenditure  incurred  by  them  on transportation of foodgrains within the State, its handling and FPS dealers' margin as per norms to be devised for this purpose.
11. Transparency  and  Accountability: Provisions  for  disclosure  of  records  relating  to  PDS,  social audits and setting up of Vigilance Committees in order to ensure transparency and accountability.
12. Food Security Allowance: Provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.
13. Penalty: Provision for penalty on public servant or authority, to be imposed by the State Food Commission, in case of failure to comply with the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (b)    TO  (d)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO. 59 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 06.02.2018 IN THE LOK SABHA

Complaints on TPDS received  in the Department from Individuals, Organizations & through media reports etc from 2015 to 2018 (upto 31.01.2018)

| S. No.      | State/UT 2015       | 2016   | 2017   | 2018   |
|-------------|---------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1           | Andhra Pradesh 8    | 5 10   |        | 2      |
| 2           | Arunachal Pradesh 1 | -      | -      | -      |
| 3           | Assam 34            | 32     | 17     | 2      |
| 4           | Bihar 106           | 81     | 169    | 18     |
| 5           | Chhattisgarh 6      | 9      | 9      | 1      |
| 6           | Delhi 113           | 91     | 98     | 7      |
| 7           | Goa -               | 1      | 2      | -      |
| 8           | Gujarat 8           | 12     | 9      | 1      |
| 9           | Haryana 35          | 34     | 47     | 3      |
| 10 Himachal | Pradesh 4           | 5      | 6      | -      |
| 11          | J&K 5               | 3      | 4      | -      |
| 12          | Jharkhand 32        | 29     | 35     | 7      |
| 13          | Karnataka 16        | 22     | 28     | 1      |
| 14          | Kerala 16           | 22     | 13     | -      |
| 15 Madhya   | Pradesh 17          | 24     | 21     | 1      |
| 16          | Maharashtra 48      | 62     | 77     | 3      |
| 17          | Manipur 6           | 4      | 2      | 2      |
| 18          | Meghalaya 7         | 9      | -      | -      |
| 19          | Mizoram -           | -      | 2      | -      |
| 20          | Nagaland -          | 2      | 2      | -      |
| 21          | Orissa 22           | 43     | 22     | 3      |
| 22          | Punjab 10           | 7      | 5      | 2      |
| 23          | Rajasthan 33        | 59     | 82     | 5      |
| 24          | Sikkim -            | -      | -      | -      |
| 25 Tamil    | Nadu 22             | 33     | 31     | 2      |
| 26          | Telangana 10        | 1      | 4      | -      |
| 27          | Tripura -           | 1      | 1      | -      |
| 28          | Uttarakhand 24      | 21     | 22     | 2      |
| 29          | Uttar Pradesh 197   | 461    | 445    | 41     |
| 30          | West Bengal 32      | 29     | 49     | 2      |
| 31          | A&N Island -        | 1      | -      | -      |
| 32          | Chandigarh 6        | 2      | -      | -      |
| 33          | D& N Haveli -       | 1      | -      | -      |
| 34          | Puducherry -        | -      | 1      | -      |
| TOTAL       | 818                 | 1106   | 1213   | 105    |