Lok Sabha Question No. 174 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-11
Subject: Bogus Ration Cards
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 174

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 DECEMBER, 2018

## BOGUS RATION CARDS

## 174. SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that several crores of bogus family ration cards have been put into circulation by unscrupulous traders and other sponging upon the highly subsidised foodgrains meant and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  process  of  digitalization  of  all  the  family  ration  cards which will put an end to the menace of bogus family ration cards have been successfully completed in all the States of India, especially in Tamil Nadu, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether  the  IT-enabled  digitalization  of  family  ration  cards  has helped identify and weed out the bogus family ration cards in many States particularly in Tamil Nadu, if so, the details thereof, State and UT-wise?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a): Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS)  is  operated  under  the joint responsibility of the Central and State/UT Governments, governed under the provisions of National Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA) in all States/UTs. Central Government is responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains up to the designated depots of the FCI. Whereas, operational  responsibilities  for  allocation  and  distribution  of  foodgrains within the State/UT, identification of eligible beneficiaries/households under NFSA,  issuance  of  NFSA  ration  cards  i.e.  under  Antodaya  Antodaya  Ann Yojana    (AAY)  and  Priority  Household  (PHH)  to  them,  and  supervision  & monitoring  of  functioning  of  the  Fair  Price  Shops  (FPSs)  rest  with  the concerned State/UT Governments. No BPL category is existing under NFSA.

(b)  &  (c):  This  Department  is  implementing  a  scheme  on  'End-to-End Computerization  of  TPDS  Operations'  in  collaboration  with  all  States/UTs. Component-I of the scheme include digitization of ration cards / beneficiaries' databases, computerization of supply-chain management, etc. The Digitalization  of  ration  cards/beneficiaries  data  has  been  completed  in  all States/UTs, including Tamil Nadu. Apart from the above, in order to identify and weed-out duplicate/ineligible beneficiaries from the TPDS, and to enable better  targeting  of  food  subsidies  States/UTs  have  been  asked  to  seed Aadhaar numbers of beneficiaries with their ration cards. Further due to use of technology and de-duplication, detection of in-eligible/ghost beneficiaries/ration card holders, transfers, migration, death(s) of beneficiaries, change in the economic status of the household (e.g. govt. job) etc. has resulted in the deletion/cancelled of about 2.75 Crore ration cards (including about 4.23 Lakh ration cards of Tamil Nadu) during the years 20132017  as  reported  by  the  State/UT  Governments.  State/UT  wise  information including Tamil Nadu is at annexure.

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## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (b)&(c) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 174 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 11.12.2018 IN THE LOK SABHA.

## Statement showing State/UT wise total number of deleted/cancelled ration cards during the years 2013 to 2017

| Sl.   | States/UTs          | No. of Deleted Ration Cards during 2013- 2017   |
|-------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh      | 11,55,661                                       |
| 2     | Andaman &Nicobar    | 37                                              |
| 3     | Arunachal Pradesh   | 19,561                                          |
| 4     | Assam               | 1,29,243                                        |
| 5     | Bihar               | 41,369                                          |
| 6     | Chandigarh          | -                                               |
| 7     | Chhattisgarh        | 12,38,000                                       |
| 8     | Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 549                                             |
| 9     | Daman &Diu          | 631                                             |
| 10    | Delhi               | 64,090                                          |
| 11    | Goa                 | 1,57,461                                        |
| 12    | Gujarat             | 1,60,685                                        |
| 13    | Haryana             | 1,88,425                                        |
| 14    | Himachal Pradesh    | 3,260                                           |
| 15    | Jammu and Kashmir   | 55,344                                          |
| 16    | Jharkhand           | 4,53,958                                        |
| 17    | Karnataka           | 27,49,532                                       |
| 18    | Kerala              | -                                               |
| 19    | Lakshadweep         | 1,390                                           |
| 20    | Madhya Pradesh      | 4,18,509                                        |
| 21    | Maharashtra         | 21,62,391                                       |
| 22    | Manipur             | 336                                             |
| 23    | Meghalaya           | -                                               |
| 24    | Mizoram             | 1,503                                           |
| 25    | Nagaland            | 3,247                                           |
| 26    | Odisha              | 6,86,211                                        |
| 27    | Puducherry          | 95,393                                          |
| 28    | Punjab              | 1,01,249                                        |
| 29    | Rajasthan           | 14,66,629                                       |
| 30    | Sikkim              | 12,840                                          |
| 31    | Tamil Nadu          | 4,22,746                                        |
| 32    | Telangana           | 20,97,564                                       |
| 33    | Tripura             | 1,76,986                                        |
| 34    | Uttar Pradesh       | 68,80,999                                       |
| 35    | Uttarakhand         | -                                               |
| 36    | West Bengal         | 66,13,961                                       |
|       | Total               | 2,75,59,760                                     |