Lok Sabha Question No. 1784 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-08
Subject: Eligible Persons under NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Feroze Varun Gandhi

## GOVERNITiENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.{784

## TO BE ANSWERED  ON EIH DECEMBER.2021

## ELIGIBLE  PERSONS UNDER NFSA

## ,784. SHRI FEROZEVARUN GANDH!:

will  the  Minister of  GoNSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIG Fd{or d+ be pleased to state:

DISTRIBUTIoN 5csfffiI arri, ur<.q dk rrffio

- (a) whether  the Government recognises that Gensus 2O{{ data is outdated for the purposes of determining  the eligibiliQr  of persons  to be covered under the National Food Security Act 2013 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the percentage  of the population  excluded from the National  Food security acl in 2021 based on the population proiections  for the year as per the 20{9
- Report ofthe Technical  Group on Populatlon Proiects;
- (c) whether the Govemment  has acted on the Supreme Gourt's orders to re' determine the total number of persons who wilt be eligible to recelve  subsldised food grains under Section 9 of the National Food Security  Act; and
- (d) if not, the reasons  therefof

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT  AND CONSUi'ER AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a): Govemment of tndia enacted Natlonal Food Security Act', 2013 (NFSA) which  provides for coverage  of upto 75o/o ol the rural and upto 5Oo/o ol the urban poputation  (67o/o  ol the total  poputation  of the country)  for receiving  hlghly subsidlzed foodgrains under Targeted Publtc Distribution  system  (TPDS), which at Gensus 2O,t{ comes to about 8,t.35 crore. At present, approx 79.53 crore pensons are covered  under the Act. The coverage  under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vutnerable  and needy sections  of the soc:ety get ats benetit. section  9 of the Act provldes that the percentage Goverage under the Targeted Publlc Distrabution  system In rural and urban areas for each state shall be determined  by the Gentrai Govemment and the total number of persons to be covered in such rural and urban areas of the state shall be calculated on the basis of the population  estimates as per the Gensus of which the relevant flgures have been published. Any change ln the state/uT-wise  coverage  is possible only after the  poputation data of next Gensus  ls published'

- (b): The percentage of population excluded from National Food Security Act on the basis of 2O19 repoil of the technical  group on population proiectlon  is not maintained  in the Department-
- (c) & (d): Hontble Supreme Gourt of lndia in Suo Motu Writ Petition (Givil) No.6 of 2O2O with Writ Petition (Givlt) No. 9'16 of 2O2O  '  Bandhua Mukti torcha vs Union of lndia and others has directed vide order dated 29.06.2021  that the Gentral Govemment may undertake  exercise under sectaon 9 of the l{ataonal Food security Act, 2o1? lo re-determine the total number of persons to be covered under the Rural and urban areas of the state. As explained in para (a) above, any change in the state/UT-wise coyerage  is possibte  only after the population data of next Gensus is published.