Lok Sabha Question No. 907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-07
Subject: Theft of Foodgrains
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: P. KARUNAKARAN, VIRENDRA  KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 907

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 th  FEBRUARY, 2017

## THEFT OF FOODGRAINS

907.  SHRI P. KARUNAKARAN: DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:

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 implementation of Public Distribution System, Targeted Public  Distribution  System    and  Antyodaya  Anna  Yojana  has  been  badly affected due to theft of foodgrains, corruption in fair price shops and frequent changes in licence holders of fair price shops and if so, the details thereof along  with  the  remedial  measures  taken  in  this  regard  including  cases registered and action taken against the officials involved;
- (b) whether it is proposed to introduce the food coupons and smart card system  started  in  some  States  for  preventing  diversion  of  foodgrains  and corruption  in  distribution  thereof  in  other  States  also  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and the time by which the some is to be implemented;
- (c) whether the Government has received any investigation reports from any State Government inquiring into the  modus  operandi used to siphon off BPL rations and other subsidies if not, whether the Government has asked any State Government to conduct investigation in this regard; and
- (d) whether the Government has concluded that biometric identification and use of scanners to authenticate BPL ration card holders will prevent loss of subsidized food and if so, the manner in which this conclusion was arrived at?

## A N S W E R

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

(a) to (d): There have been complaints about irregularities in the functioning of  the  Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in some States/regions in the country. The complaints generally relate to untimely supply of foodgrains, leakage/diversion,  inclusion/exclusion  errors,  bogus/ineligible  ration  cards being in circulation, diversion/theft of foodgrains, irregular functioning of Fair Price Shop(FPS), beneficiaries not getting their entitled quota of foodgrains and  allotment  of  fair  price  shops  in  an  arbitrary  manner,  etc.  A  statement indicating  State-wise  number  of  complaints  on  Targeted Public  Distribution System [TPDS] received from 2013 to 2016 is at Annexure.

As  and  when  shortcomings/complaints  are  received  by  the  Government from individuals and organizations as well as through press reports, they are sent to State/UT Governments concerned for inquiry and appropriate action.

Under TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, State/UT Governments are required to issue  ration  card  whether  paper  based  or  smart  card  for  distribution  of essential commodities under Public Distribution scheme or schemes maintained  in  NFSA.  The  department  has  endorsed  the  Aadhaar  based biometric  authentication  model  through e  PoS  devices  installed  at  the  Fair Price Shops.

To  prevent  the  violation  of  provisions  of  TPDS[Control]  Order,  2015  and NFSA,  2013, the Department of Food & Public Distribution  is implementing a Plan Scheme on 'End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations' under 12 th Five  Year  Plan  (2012-17)  on  cost  sharing  basis  with  the  States/UTs.  The Scheme comprises of activities namely, digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and other databases, computerisation of supply-chain management, setting up of transparency portals and grievance redressal mechanisms and installation of      e  PoS  devices  at  Fair  Price  Shops  and  issuance  of  foodgrains  through biometric  authentication.  Besides  above,  all  States/UTs  have  also  been requested to seed the Aadhaar numbers in Ration Card database. The scheme will  enable  removal  of  bogus/ineligible  ration  cards  and  better  targeting  of food subsidy, facilitate availability of foodgrains to intended beneficiaries at Fair Price Shops (FPS), check leakages and diversions etc. As on 24.01.2017, 100%  digitization  of  ration  cards  and  73%  seeding  of  Aadhaar  has  been achieved and 1.78 lakh e PoS are currently operating at Fair Price Shops.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (d)  OF  THE UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  907  DUE  FOR  ANSWER  ON  07.02.2017  IN THE LOK SABHA

STATEMENT:   COMPLAINTS ON TPDS RECEIVED  IN THE DEPARTMENT FROM INDIVIDUALS,  ORGANISATIONS & THROUGH MEDIA REPORTS  ETC  FROM 2013 TO  2016.

| S. No.   | State/UT          | 2013   | 2014   | 2015   | 2016   |
|----------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 3      | 4      | 8      | 5      |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | -      | 1      | 1      | -      |
| 3        | Assam             | -      | 5      | 34     | 32     |
| 4        | Bihar             | 32     | 55     | 106    | 81     |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 3      | 3      | 6      | 9      |
| 6        | Delhi             | 37     | 78     | 113    | 91     |
| 7        | Goa               | -      | -      | -      | 1      |
| 8        | Gujarat           | 4      | 16     | 8      | 12     |
| 9        | Haryana           | 11     | 26     | 35     | 34     |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh  | -      | -      | 4      | 5      |
| 11       | J&K               | -      | -      | 5      | 3      |
| 12       | Jharkhand         | 8      | 16     | 32     | 29     |
| 13       | Karnataka         | 6      | 6      | 16     | 22     |
| 14       | Kerala            | 1      | 1      | 16     | 22     |
| 15       | Madhya Pradesh    | 17     | 7      | 17     | 24     |
| 16       | Maharashtra       | 20     | 25     | 48     | 62     |
| 17       | Manipur           | 2      | 1      | 6      | 4      |
| 18       | Meghalaya         | 1      | 2      | 7      | 9      |
| 19       | Mizoram           | -      | -      | -      | -      |
| 20       | Nagaland          | -      | 3      | -      | 2      |
| 21       | Orissa            | 3      | 8      | 22     | 43     |
| 22       | Punjab            | 6      | 5      | 10     | 7      |
| 23       | Rajasthan         | 18     | 31     | 33     | 59     |
| 24       | Sikkim            | 0      | -      | -      | -      |
| 25       | Tamil Nadu        | 9      | 7      | 22     | 33     |
| 26       | Telangana         | -      | -      | 10     | 1      |
| 27       | Tripura           | -      | -      | -      | 1      |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 2      | 8      | 24     | 21     |
| 29       | Uttar Pradesh     | 92     | 137    | 197    | 461    |
| 30       | West Bengal       | 7      | 11     | 32     | 29     |
| 31       | A&N Island        | -      | -      | -      | 1      |
| 32       | Chandigarh        | -      | 3      | 6      | 2      |
| 33       | D&NHaveli         | -      | 1      | -      | 1      |
| 34       | Puducherry        | -      | -      | -      | -      |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL             | 282    | 460    | 818    | 1106   |