Lok Sabha Question No. 1837 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: BPL Families in Telangana
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Uttam Kumar Nalamada Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1837

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH  JULY, 2022

## BPL FAMILIES IN TELANGANA

1837.  SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY NALAMADA:

Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION उपभोᲦा मामले , खा᳒ और सावᭅजिनक िवतरण मंᮢी be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  number  of  BPL  families  and  the  number  of  ration  card holders in Telangana;
- (b) the  rations  received  by  each  BPL  family  under  public  distribution scheme in Telangana from March 2020 to June 2022;
- (c) the  detailed  break-up  of  contributions  of  food  grains  to  each  BPL family in public distribution schemes by the Union and State Governments in each month from March, 2020 to June 2022; and
- (d) the  quality  checks  and  grievance  redressal  mechanisms  in  place presently in Telangana for food grains supplied to ration cardholders?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a): As  per  the  provisions  of  the  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013 (NFSA), the Department allocates foodgrains to all States/UTs for distribution  to  the  identified  ration  card  holders  by  them  (including Telangana) under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories of the Act only. The NFSA is operational in a uniform  manner  in  all  States/UTs,  and  there  is  no  Below  Poverty  Line (BPL) category under the Act.

(b): Govt.  of  India  allocated  30.24  LMT  and  21.08  LMT  of  foodgrains (Rice)  to  the  State  of  Telangana  under  the  regular  NFSA  and  PM-GKAY respectively from March 2020 to June 2022.

(c) & (d):   Under NFSA, the Department allocates foodgrains (Rice) to the Government  of  Telangana  for  distribution  to  the  beneficiaries  covered under the Act through AAY and PHH category ration cards only. However, the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Control Order, 2015 under the Act, enables the States/UTs to also allow the sale/distribution of other Essential Commodities and food items from their Fair Price Shops (FPSs) apart from NFSA foodgrains.

Further,  under  NFSA,  there  is  a  set  procedure/mechanism  to  issue foodgrains  under  the  Public  Distribution  System  (PDS).  Surprise  checks are  also  conducted  at  Food  Storage  Depots/Fair  Price  Shops,  to  ensure the quality of foodgrains (wheat and rice), distributed to PDS beneficiaries.  Moreover,  Government  has  issued  instructions  to  State Government/Union Territories (UTs) and Food Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure the supply of good quality foodgrains under PDS:

The  States  where  the  decentralized  procurement  is  in  operation, should ensure that the quality of foodgrains issued under TPDS and other welfare schemes should meet the prescribed quality standards.

*****