Lok Sabha Question No. 1464 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-20
Subject: Food Security under NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Kaushal Kishore, Adoor Prakash, Sunil Kumar Pintu, Devji Mansingram Patel, Nayab Singh, P.P. Chaudhary, Shobha Karandlaje, Shardaben Anilbhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MTNISTRY OF GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED OUESTION NO. {464 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 2oth SEPTEMBER, 2O2O

## FOOD SECURITY UNDER NFSA

1464.

SHRI I(AUSHAL KISHORE:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR PIilTU:

ADV.ADOOR PRAKASH:

SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

SHRI i{AYAB Stl{GH:

SHRI P.P. GHAUDHARY:

XUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

SHRIMATI SHARDABEN ANILBHAI  PATEL:

Wil! the Minister of GONSUMER AFFAIRS' FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTIoN ics#{il arrd, ur<.u 3ih  qr+frfufi  Pfilq d'+ be pleased  to state:

- (a) the measures taken to guarantee  Food Security under [ational  Food Security Act (NFSA), 2O{3;
- (b) whether the Government has initiated any scheme to confirm food is distributed to migrants too in light of non.availability of food to migrant tabourc throughout the quarantine period;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether the Government is considering portability of Ration cards as an option known as One Nation One Ration Gard Scheme;
- (e)  if so, the details  thereof and the names of States who have  ioined the scheme so far; and
- (O the time line fixed to extend the coverage of the said scheme throughout  the countryE

## AI{SWER

Mtl{tsTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF COI{SUMER AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO}

.21.

(a): The National Food Security Act, 2Ol3 (NFSA) provides  a legal entittement to  8{.35 crore persons to  avail foodgrains at  highly subsidized  rates. The Act provides for coverage ol 75"/" of the rurat and 5oo/o of the urban  population, i.e. about two-thirds of the total population of the country, for receiving foodgrains at highly subsidized  prices of Rs.3l2l1 per kg for rice/ wheaU  coarsegrains respectively. Under the Act, white Antyodaya Anna Yoiana (AAY) households that constitute the poorest  of the poor are Iegally entitled to receive 35 kg of foodglains  per family  per month, priority households are entitled to 5 kg per person per month. The Act also has a provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries  in case of non'supply of entitled foodgrains or meals subiect to conditions. Accordingly, Government has notified Food Security Allowance  Rules, 2Ol5 on 21.O1.2015.  The Act also provides for a robust Grievance  Redressat and Transparency mechanism to facilitate implementation of provisions  of the Act.

(b) & (c): As part of  the Economic measures (Atma Nirbhar Bharat),  allocation of foodgrains, free of cost, has been made to all the States/Union  Terdtoriesr for the month of May and Juner 2O2Or for stranded migrants who are not covered under the National Food security Acjtr 2Ol3 or any other state scheme PDS Gards. Such beneficiaries shall be eligibte for 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month. Identification of such beneficiaries and distribution of foodgrains  to them shall be the responsibility of  concerned State Government or  Union Territory Administration. states/uTs collectivety indicated a total population  of about 2.8 crore migrants who do not have NFSA,/ State ration cards and who may be potentiatty benefited from the distribution of free-of-cost foodgrains under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme (ANBS). Under Atma Nirbhar  Bharat package, states/uTs have lifted total 6.4 LMT foodgrains against  total atlocation  of 8 LMT from FGt godowns  based on estimate of migrant  population  in their respective  state. Tota! 2.67 LMT foodgrains have been distributed  to 2.35 crore, 2.5O crore, 32.{8 lakh and 22.38 lakh migrants  in the month of May, June, July and August, 2O2O respectively'

.3.

(d) to (f):  Under Public Distribution  System (PDS) reforms, the Department in association with State/UT Governments is implementang 'One Nation One Ration Gard' plan to enable nation-wide portability of ration cards under National Food Security  Act, 2Ol3 (NFSA), with an obiective to enable the migrant beneficiaries to lift their entitled quota  of foodgrains  from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere  in the country by using their existing/same ration card after biometric/Aadhaar authentication  on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) device. So far, the facility is enabledl in 26 States/UT, namely  -  Andhra  Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand,  Kerala, Karnataka,  Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Puniab, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Nagaland Manipur, Ladakh and Lakshadweep covering nearly 65 Grore beneficiaries i.e. about 8Oo/o ol total NFSA population in the country. Further, this Department  is continuously  pursuing with remaining 1O States/UTs  with an obiective  to enable the facility in all States/UTs  by 31.03.2021. However,  integration of remaining States/UTs  is dependent on their readiness to implement  the same in terms of installation of ePoS devices at FPSs, enablement of biometric/Aadhaan authentication of beneficiaries and other technical aspects.