Lok Sabha Question No. 3733 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-16
Subject: Rise in Hunger Deaths Related to Aadhaar Linking
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Dibyendu Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3733 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 TH  JULY, 2019

## RISE IN HUNGER DEATHS RELATED TO AADHAAR LINKING

## 3733.  SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:

Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC be  pleased  to

DISTRIBUTION उपभोक्ता त मल , ाखतद्ा औा तावर्ज�ाका्औता  मं state:

- (a) whether the Government agrees that starvation is still the scourge of our country;
- (b) if so, the detailed report on hunger deaths in India since 2010, and the action taken to support the families thereof;
- (c) whether it is also a fact that on mandatory linking of Aadhaar with PDS, starvation rate has grown-up as a sizable number of PDS beneficiaries do not have Aadhaar and bank account for the purpose;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  status  of  the  implementation  of Supreme Court orders on Aadhaar exclusions therefor; and
- the details of the action taken by the Government to reach to every
- (e) single people of the country with PDS items?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI   DANVE  RAOSAHEB   DADARAO)

(a) to (e): A  few  reports  have  of  late  appeared  in  the  media  citing  nonlinking  of  Aadhaar  with  Ration  Cards  as  one  of  the  reasons  for  the difficulties  faced  by  the  beneficiaries  under  NFSA  in  getting  their  entitled quota  of  foodgrains.  In  this  regard,  as  per  available  records  and  received information  from  the  State  Governments,  allegations  made  in  the  media reports of deaths due to starvation have not been substantiated.

Further, provisions of the Notification issued under the Section-7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016, vide SO No. 371[E] dated 08/02/2017 [as amended from time to time] by the Department, all eligible beneficiaries entitled to receive subsidized  foodgrains,  under  the  National  Food  Security  Act  2013  [NFSA], who do not possess Aadhaar number or,  are not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, but are desirous of availing the subsidized foodgrains, are required to make an  application  for  Aadhaar  enrolment  by  30/09/2019,  and  also  linking  of Aadhaar  with  Ration  Cards/Beneficiaries  ensure  correct  identification  of beneficiaries and their rightful delivery of subsidized foodgrains under NFSA.

...........2/-

This  Department  has  issued  instructions  to  all  States/UTs  vide letter  dated  24/10/2017  that  no  beneficiary/household  shall  be  deleted from the list of eligible beneficiaries/households only on the ground of not possessing  an  Aadhaar  number,  and  shall  also  not  be  denied  from subsidized foodgrains or cash transfer of food subsidy under NFSA due to failure of biometric/Aadhaar authentication because of network/ connectivity/  linking  issues/  poor    biometric  of  the  beneficiary  or  other technical reasons. This Department has again issued instructions to all States/UTs vide letter dated 08/11/2018 that owing to failure of biometric/Aadhaar authentication, no genuine beneficiary shall be denied from foodgrains entitled under NFSA.

Streamlining and upgradation of Targeted Public Distribution System  [TPDS]  is  a  continuous  process.  Department  of  Food  &  Public Distribution is implementing a Scheme on 'End-to-End Computerisation of TPDS Operations' on cost sharing basis with the States/UTs. The Scheme consists of activities namely, digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and other  databases,  computerisation  of  supply-chain  management,  setting up  of  transparency  portals  and  grievance  redressal  mechanisms  and installation of ePoS devices at Fair Price Shops.

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