Lok Sabha Question No. 4574 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: Irregularities in PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Hemant Patil, Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar, Rahul Ramesh Shewale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINTSTRY OF GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtC  DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DTSTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4574 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 23'd MARGH,2O2{

## IRREGULARITIES  IN PDS

4574. SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL:

SHRI OMPRAKASH  BHUPALSINH  ALTAS PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR: SHRI RAHUL RAMESH  SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of GONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD AND  pUBLlc DISTRIBUTION  sctrtrrr enrd, ur<-a st{ {rffifi lfi{ur d* be pteased to state:

- (a)  whether  the incidents of black.marketing/  irregularities  in the functioning of PDS have increasedl
- (b)  if so, the number of such complaints forwarded by the Union Government to the State Governments and the action taken/being  taken by the concerned State Governments on such complaints,  State/UTwise;
- (c)  whether the Union Government has received requests/proposals
- from the State Governments for additionat/higher  allocation of foodgrains under the PDS during each of the last three years and the current yea4 and
- (d)  if so, the details thereof along with the action taken on such requests/proposals  so far, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

MIt{tsTER OF STATE FOR MIN|STRY OF GONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD &

PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION

(sHRt DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a) & (b): Targeted Public Distribution  System (TPDS)  is  operated under the  ioint  responsibility of  the  Gentral and the  State/UT Governments, wherein the operational  responsibilities pertain  with the State/UT. Accordingly,  as and when complaints are received  in this Department from individuals, organizations  as well as through media reports regarding  any irregularities in the functioning of the TPDS, they are forwarded to the concerned  State/UT Government for inquiry and appropriate  action at their end.

,21-

During the current calendar yean 2O21, so far 2SO comptaints have been received in the Department and have been forwarded to concemed States/UTs for necessary action and disposal at their end. An offence committed in violation of the provisions  of TPDS (Gontrol) Order, 2O{5 is liable for penal action under the Essential  Gommodities Act, i955. Thus, the Order empowers State/UT Governments  to take punitive  action in case of contravention  of relevant provisions  of these Orders.

- (c) & (d): Allocation  of foodgrains to States/UTs  under the National Food Security Act, 2O{3 (NFSA) is made on the basis of identification of beneficiaries  reported by the States/Union  Territories  (UTs) within the State/UT.wise  coverage of population determined by erstwhite  ptanning Gommission,  and foodgrains  entitlement  prescribed under the Act i.e. 35 Kg per household per month for households  covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and 5 Kg per person per month for Priority households. As and when requests are received from States/UTs  for revision of foodgrains  allocation under the Act, within their NFSA coverage limit, the same are processed and revised allocation orders are issued as per the extant policy,