Lok Sabha Question No. 1272 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-18
Subject: Starvation Deaths
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD, JITENDRA CHAUDHURY, CHANDRAKANT BHAURAO KHAIRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1272 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 DECEMBER, 2018 STARVATION DEATHS

1272. PROF. RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD:

SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY: SHRI CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE:

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

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- (a) whether cases of death due to starvation in the country have come to the notice of the Government;
- (b) if so, the details of people died due to starvation during the last three years, State/UTwise, particularly Jharkhand;
- (c) the  concrete  steps  taken/being  taken  /likely  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  deal with starvation in the country;
- (d) whether India ranks at 115 th  among 119 countries in Global Hunger
- Index; and
- (e)
- if so, the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

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

- (a) & (b): No  Madam.  No  State  Government/Union  Territory  Administration  has  reported any incident of death due to starvation in the country. There have been media reports of starvation deaths in some States/UTs.  However, on enquiry, the deaths due to starvation have not been substantiated including in Jharkhand.
- (c) The  Government  has  been  providing  foodgrains  at  highly  subsidized  prices  to  the targeted population through State Governments/Union Territory Administrations under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in terms of National Food Security Act, 2013 and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS s ).  National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population , thus covering about two-third of the population of the country for receiving  foodgrains @ of Rs. 3, 2 & 1 per kg for rice, wheat & nutri-cereals respectively under TPDS. During the year 201819, the Government has so far allocated a quantity of 609.08 lakh MT of foodgrains to the States/UTs under NFSA, Other Welfare Schemes and allocations due to natural calamities
- and festivals.

Further, Government  of  India has issued advisories to all States/UTs that no beneficiary/household shall be deleted from the list of eligible beneficiaries/households only on  the  grounds  of  not  possessing  Aadhaar  and  shall  also  not  be  denied  subsidized foodgrains or cash transfer of food subsidy under NFSA due to non-availability of Aadhaar or failure of biometric authentication. Advisories have also been issued by the Government of India to States/UTs to put in place special dispensation that includes home delivery of the entitled  quota  of  foodgrains  and  delivery  through  authorized  nominees  in  respect  of beneficiaries who are above 65 years of age or who are differently abled and have no other adult family member listed in the Ration Card and are not in a position to visit Fair Price Shop themselves.

- (d) & (e): As per information available in the public domain, India's ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) brought out by 'Concern World Wide' is 103. As per GHI Report 2018 of 'Concern World Wide', the composite GHI scores of India have improved from 38.8 in 2000 to 31.1 in 2018. Thus the country has shown consistent improvement over the years.

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