Lok Sabha Question No. 3265 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-01
Subject: Irregularities in Implementation of NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3265

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01 JANUARY, 2019

## IRREGULARITIES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NFSA

## 3265. SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

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 Government is aware of irregularities in the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA);
- (b) whether  the  Government  has conducted  any  inquiry into  such incidents, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government reviewed the implementation of the Act and observed any shortcomings; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise and measures taken to address the issue?

## A N S W E R

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

(a) to (d):  Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is now governed as per the  provisions  of  the  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013  (NFSA),  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.

There have been complaints about irregularities in the functioning of the 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.  Since,  TPDS  is  operated  under  joint responsibility  of  the  Central  and  State  Governments/  UT  Administrations, therefore, as and when complaints are received by the Central Government from  individuals  and  organizations  as  well  as  through  press  reports,  these are referred to the State/UT Governments concerned, if required, for inquiry and appropriate action.

Implementation  of  the  Act  is  reviewed  on  a  regular  basis  through meetings  with  States/UTs  at  various  levels.  As  a  result  of  regular  review, implementation of the Act has started in all the States/UTs.

With  the  objective  to  check  leakages  and  diversion  of  foodgrains, removal of bogus/ ineligible ration cards and for improving targeting of food subsidy and transparency in PDS operations, Government is implementing a scheme of end-to-end Computerization of TPDS operations, which comprises of digitization of ration cards/ beneficiary and other databases, computerization  of  supply-chain  management,  setting  up  of  transparency portals  and  grievances  redressal  mechanisms  etc.  During  the  process  of digitization of beneficiaries database, de-duplication, Aadhaar seeding, in the run up to implement of NFSA, 2.75 crore ration cards have been deleted due to detection of Ghost/ fraudulent/ duplicate/ ineligible/migration/deaths etc.

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