Lok Sabha Question No. 3338 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-23
Subject: Coverage under NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Kuruva Gorantla Madhav

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## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO.3338 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 23RD MARGH,2022

## COVERAGE UNDER NFSA

## 3338. SHRI KURU'VAGORANTLA MADHAV:

Will the Minister of GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIG

DISTRIBUTIOI{ sqfis,r  qr{t,  ura *t wffi+  fufi"r d*  be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Ministry is aware that National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2O{3 was adopted before the bifurcation  of united Andhra Pradesh  and that after bifurcation both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are in the same bracket despite difference in Gross Domestic  Product (cDP) of both States;
- (b)  if so, whether any corrective measures have been taken by the Government to cover higher  percentage  of population under NFSA in Andhra Pradesh considering its post bifurcation financial strainl and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION (sADHVl NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a) to (c): The National Food Security Act' 2013 (NFSA) provides  for coverage of upto 75o/o ol the rural and 5o% of the urban populationr at all tndia levet, for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains.  Gorresponding to this coverage,  State/Union  Territory'wise  percentage coverage was determined by the then Planning Gommission (Now NlTl Aayog) using the 68th round of Nationat sampte survey organization  (Nsso) Household Gonsumption Expenditure survey  tzoll-lal,Tendutkar  Poverty estimates 12011-20121 and 201{ Population Gensus data and uniform methodology across states. Using the uniform  approach for all the states/uTs,  coverage  under NFSA for united Andhra Pradesh was fixed at 60.96% of rural and 41.140/o of the urban  population,  which at Census 20{1 comes to 459.92 lakh persons'

Same percentage  coverage was fixed for the new Andhra Pradesh and Telangana  post bifurcation due to data constraint pertaining to state specafic poverty  estimates lot  2011-12  and consequent  difficulties in calculating price adlusted consgmption expenditure  cut off for both states separately.

The issue of percentage  eoverage for the State of new Andhra Pradesh was taken up with the NIT! Aayog. NIT! Aayog informed that the Gonsumption  Expenditure  Survey data is now decade old and results of subsequent Surveys are not yet available, therefore any exercise to determine coverage ratios for Telangana and New Andhra Pradesh based on old data may not be prudent. Besides, as the national coverage under NFSA is capped at 75o/o in rural areas and 50o/o in srban areas, any increase in coverage  of one State without corresponding  decline in coverage  of another State is not permissable  under the Act. NlTl Aayog has suggested to continue with the existing coverage ratios for both the State of Telangana and new Andhra Pradesh until the results of next Household Gonsumption  Expenditure Survey and Gensus 2021 ate available or any other approach is adopted for coverage of beneficiaries under NFSA.

At present,  no proposal for revision ln coverage for the State of Andhra Pradesh is under consideration of the Government.