Lok Sabha Question No. 251 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Corruption in Food Distribution
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Ravi Kishan Shukla, (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MTNTSTRY  OF CONSUMER  AFFA|RS,  FOOD &  pUBLtc  DTSTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED  OUESTION NO. 25I TO BE ANSWERED  ON {gth NOVEMBER, 2Or9

## CORRUPTION IN FOOD DISTRIBUTION

## i251.  SHR! RAV| KTSHAN:

DR. RAM SHANKAR KATHERIA:

Will the  Minister of  GONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION  sctrtrilr arril, ur<.< sfh TrdBfrfi  E-f{ur d* be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the complaints have been received in respect of the com.rption in food distribution in the country including in Uttar Pradesh;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government  to check it, State-wise;  and
- (c) the plan formulated by the Government for permanent solution for checking  the said cornrption?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF GONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION (sHRr DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

- (a) to (c):  Public Distribution  System (PDS) is operated under the ioint responsibility of the Gentra! and the State/UT Governments, wherein the operational responsibilities  within the State/UT rest with the respective State/UT Government. As and when complaints are received in this Department from individuals, organizations  as well as through media repods regarding any irregularities in  the functioning of  the PDS, including corruption,  leakages & diversion of subsidized foodgrains thus not reaching to the intended beneficiaries, etc., they are forwarded to the concerned State/UT Government for inquiry and appropriate action at their end.

An offence committed in violation of the provisions  of PDS (Gontrol) Order, 2O{5 is liable for penal action under the Essential Gommodities Act, {955. Thus, the Order empowens State/UT Governments to take punitive actaon in case of contravention of relevant provisions  of these Orders. A State/UT-wise statement including Uttar Pradesh indacating number of such complaints received in the Department during the current year as at Annexure-!. Also, the institutional  mechanasm for the monitoring and grievance  redressal  under ational Food Security Act, 2O{3 (NFSA) provides setting up of Vigilance Committees, District Grievance Redressal  Officers and independent State Food Gommission for making the system more efEcient  and transparent.

Further, to bring refoms in the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS), this Department  in collaborataon  with all States/UTs is implementing  a scheme on  .End-to-End  Gomputerization  of PDS Operations,. The scheme comprises of  digitization of  ration cards/beneficiaries, computerization of supply-chain  management, setting up of transparency portals and grievance redressal mechanisms  in all States/UTs. The Scheme also includes automation of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) by installation  of electronic  Point of Sale (ePoS) devices for distribution of foodgraan  at all FPSS and electronic record keeping of all sale transactions.

ANNEXURE REFERRED  TO tN REpLy TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.25{ DUE FOR ANSWERED ON {9.{I.2O{9 IN THE LOK SABHA.

STATEMEI{T: GOMPLAINTS ON TPDS REGEIVED lN THE DEPARTMENT FROM TNDMDUALS, ORGANTSATTONS  & THROUGH MEDTA REPORTS ETC FOR THE YEAR 2Ol9 (upto 3{.{O.2Ol9)

| S. No.   | State/UT          | 2lJ19   |
|----------|-------------------|---------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 6       |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh |         |
| 3        | Assam             | 7       |
| 4        | Bihar             | t08     |
| 5        | Ghhattisgarh      | 7       |
| 6        | Delhi             | 78      |
| 7        | Goa               | 1       |
| 8        | Gujarat           | 7       |
| 9        | Haryana           | 34      |
| to       | Himachal Pradesh  | 1       |
| 11       | J&K               | 3       |
| 12       | Jharkhand         | 16      |
| {3       | Karnataka         | t8      |
| 14 l5    | Kerala            | 11      |
| Madhya   | Pradesh           | 24      |
| 16       | Maharashtra       | 24      |
| 17       | Manipur           |         |
| ,8       | Meghalaya         | 1       |
| t9       | Mizoram           |         |
| 20       | Nagaland          | I       |
| 21       | Orissa            | 16      |
| 22       | Punjab            | 14      |
| 23       | Rajasthan         | 23      |
| 24       | Sikkim            |         |
| 25       | Tamil Nadu        | t5      |
| 26       | Telangana         | 3       |
| 27       | Tripura           |         |
| 2a       | Uttarakhand       | 12      |
| 29       | Uttar Pradesh     | 324     |
| 30       | West Bengal       | 4a      |
| 3t       | A&N lsland        |         |
| 32       | Chandigarh        |         |
| 33       | D& N Haveli       |         |
| 34       | Daman & Diu       |         |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       |         |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 1       |
| TOTAL    |                   | 807     |