Lok Sabha Question No. 3815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-17
Subject: Food Subsidy Bill
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Sisir Kumar Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF !i{DIA

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED OUESTION ilO. 3815 TO BE Ai{SWERED ON {7rH MARGH,  2O2O

## FOOD SUBSIDY BILL

## 38{5. SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

IYill the Minister of GOIISUMER AFFAIRST FOOD AND PUBLIC DIsTRtBUTloilsrmlffiTxrri'src.qdt{Erffif,rfutr{urd{lbepleasedtostate:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government has massively reduced the food subsidy bill from Rs. {.84 lakh crore to Rs. {.{5 lakh crore in the 2O2O-21 budget as compared to the last budget;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefo4  and
- (c) the detaals of the  proposal of the Government  to fight against malnutrition and provide  3Food  For Allt in the countryP

## ANSWER

## MIT{ISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER  AFFAIRS' FOOD &

PUBLIC DISTRIBUTIOI{

(SHRI DAiIVE RAOSAHEB  DADARAO)

(a) & (b): As per budgetary  allocation  provaded  by Ministry of Finance' Department  of Food & Public Distribution releases food subsidy to Food Gorporation of lndia (Fcl) & Decentralized  Procurement  (DcP) States. The details of budget allocated for food subsidy:

| Name of Scheme                                                          | Amount allocated & released tor FY 2O19-2O   | Amount allocated & released tor FY 2O19-2O   | Amount allocated & released tor FY 2O19-2O   | Amount Allocated for ev 20.20-21 (in Budget   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|                                                                         | Budget Estimate                              | Revised estimate                             | Released (upto 12.03.2O2O1                   | Estimate)                                     |
| Food subsidy to Food Corporation of India                               | I ,5{,ooo                                    | 75000.oo                                     | 1,19,164.O2^                                 | 779a2.54                                      |
| Food Subsidy to States following Decentralized Procurement (DCP) Scheme | 33,OOO                                       | 33508.35                                     | 36,860.62*                                   | 37337.14                                      |
| Total amount subsidy                                                    | {,84,OOO                                     | {,08,508.35                                  | 1r56p24.64                                   | ,l,15,319.68                                  |

in {crore

^$ubject  to adjustment by Ministry of Finance as the Revised estimate is 75OOO Grore

* tncludes  Rs 3r9{{.E4 crore released through FCI as part of unutillzed NSSF loan.

(c): Government of lndia has enacted National Food Security Act

(NFSA),  2O{3 which provides for coverage of about 75o/o ol the rural and 5Oo/o  ol the urban population  167y"  ot the total population  of the country) tor  receiving  highly subsidized food grains under Targeted Public Distribution  System (TPDS),  which at Gensus 20{{ comes to 81.35 crore persons. The Goverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that atl the vutnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit.

Under the Act, households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yoina (AAY) are entitled to receive 35 Kg of food grains per household per month at 111213 get kg for coarse gralns/wheaurice respectivelyr and Priority House Holds are entitled to receive 5 Kg of food grains per month at the above prices. At present, the Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs.

The Act atso has a special focus on the nutritional suppott to women and chaldrcn. Pregnant women & lactating mothers and children upto 14 yeats of age are entitled to nutritious  mealsr free of cost, as per the  prescribed nutritlonal  standards and in case of non-supply of entitled food grains or meals, the beneficiaries  are entitled to receive Food Security  Allowance.

!n the UTs of Ghandigarh, Puducherry and urban areas of Dadra & Nagar Haveti, NFSA ls being implemented  in cash transfer mode under which cash equivalent of subsidy is being transferred  directly into the bank accounts of elagible households to enable them to  purchase food grains from open market.

ln addition to NFSA, Gol is atso allocating food grains under welfare schemes such as wheat Based Nutrition Programme (wBt{P)r Mid Day Meat scheme (MDM), Scheme for Adotescent  Girls (sAG)r Allocation  ot food grains under welfare lnstitutions & Hostel scheme and Annapurna Scheme.

Further,  to address anemia and micro'nutrient deficiency 'n the country, the Government  of India has approved Gentrally sponsored Pilot Scheme on  .Fortification  of  Rice &  its  Distribution  under Public Distribution  system'. Under the scheme,  the rice is to be fortified by mixing the normal rice with Fortified  Rice Kernels  (FRKs) with added micro-nutrients namety tron, Fotic Acid and Vitamin B'{2'