Lok Sabha Question No. 417 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-29
Subject: Cases of Adulteration in Foodgrains
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Ramcharan Bohra

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

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.417 To BE ANSWERED ON 29TH MARCH, 2023

## CASES OF ADULTERATION IN FOODGRAINS

## +*417 . SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC

- (a) whether the Government is providing better quality foodgrains to the consumers shops in the country and if the details thereof;
- (b) whether fair price shop owners have been found involved in adulteration of foodgrains and if so, the details thereof along with the number of cases of adulteration that have come to the notice of the Government, State-wise;
- (c) the details of action taken against those found guilty;
- (d) whether the Government has received any complaints regarding corruptionlirregularity in the ration system allocated for the poor and alleged diversion of funds; and
- (e) if so, the number and details of the said cases in which action has been taken during the last three years?

MINISTER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION AND TEXTILES (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House:

STATEMENT REFERRED To IN REPLY To PARTS (a) To (e) OF THE STARRED QUESTION FOR ANSWER ON 29.03.2023 IN THE LOK SABHA:

- (a): Yes Sir. Government has issued   following instructions to State GovernmentIUTs and Food Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure the supply of good quality foodgrains under Public Distribution System (PDS):
- good quality foodgrains free from insect infestation and conforming to Food Safety Standards are to be issued under TPDS and Only
- other welfare schemes.
- Ample opportunities are provided to the State GovernmentIUT Administration to inspect the stocks to StatelUTs may ensure that officers not below the rank of Inspector are deputed for inspection the foodgrains before their lifting from FCI godowns: prior
- Samples of foodgrains are to be collected and sealed from the stocks of foodgrains to be issued under the TPDS jointly by FCI and State GovernmentIUT Administration.
- An officer not below the rank of Inspector is to be deputed from State Government to take the delivery of foodgrains stocks from FCI godowns:
- Regular inspection to check the quality of foodgrains is to be carried
- out by the officers of State Government:
- It is the responsibility the concerned State GovernmentIUt Administration to ensure that during  transportation and storage at different  stages in the distribution chain, the foodgrains retain the required quality specifications:
- The State Government, where the decentralized procurement is in operation, should ensure that the quality of foodgrains issued under TPDS and other welfare schemes should meet the desired standards under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
- (b) and (c): The StatelUTs-wise details of all food   samples received, analysed, found non-conforming to the norms and action taken under provision of FSS Act, 2006 during the year 2021-22 is enclosed at Annexure.

(d) and (e): Public Distribution System (PDS) is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the StatelUt Governments. Central Government is responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the Food Corporation of India (FCI): The operational responsibilities for intra-state allocation and distribution of foodgrains within the States/UTS, identification of eligible beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards and supervision and monitoring of the Fair Price   Shops (FPSs) etc. rest with the concerned StatelUt Governments: Therefore, as and when complaints are received, these are referred to the StatelUT Government concerned for inquiry and appropriate action: An offence committed in violation of the provisions of TPDS (C) Order 2015 is liable for penal action under the essential Commodities Act, 1955 and also empowers the StatelUTs to take punitive action under relevant provisions:

*****

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) & (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. *417 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 29.03.2023 IN LOK SABHA Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report of Enforcement Sample (FY 2021-22)

| Name of StatelUT        | No. of lifted   | No. of Samples |Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples wherein Analysis Report Awaited   | No. of Samples found Non- Conforming   | Details of Civil Cases   | Details of Civil Cases   | Details of Civil Cases   | Details of Civil Cases   | Details of Civil Cases   | Details of Civil Cases   | Details of Criminal Cases   | Details of Criminal Cases   | Details of Criminal Cases   | Details of Criminal Cases   | Details of Criminal Cases   |
|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Name of StatelUT        | No. of lifted   | No. of Samples |Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples wherein Analysis Report Awaited   | No. of Samples found Non- Conforming   | No. of Cases             | Launched                 | No of Cases decided      | No of Cases decided      | No of pending cases      | No of pending cases      |                             | No of Cases decided         | No of Cases decided         | No. of Pending Cases        |                             |
| Name of StatelUT        | No. of lifted   | No. of Samples |Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples wherein Analysis Report Awaited   | No. of Samples found Non- Conforming   | No. of Cases             | ]                        |                          |                          | In AO Court              | In Appellate Tribunal    |                             |                             |                             |                             |                             |
| Name of StatelUT        |                 |                                         |                                                  | L 21                                   |                          |                          |                          | 2                        |                          |                          | ] 3 5                       | 4 1                         | 2 ]                         |                             |                             |
| Andaman Nicobar Islands | 850             | 850                                     |                                                  |                                        |                          |                          |                          | 65000                    |                          |                          |                             |                             |                             |                             |                             |
| Andhra Pradesh          | 5290            | 5290                                    | 45                                               |                                        | 528                      | 271                      | 484                      | 7313178                  | 1285                     | 87                       | 41                          |                             | 200000                      | 635                         |                             |
| Arunachal Pradesh       | 330             | 108                                     | 222                                              |                                        |                          |                          |                          |                          |                          |                          |                             |                             |                             |                             |                             |
| Assam                   | 523             | 520                                     |                                                  | 2                                      | 64                       | 25                       |                          | 70000                    | 185                      |                          |                             |                             |                             | 18                          |                             |
| Bihar                   | 2140            | 555                                     | 1585                                             | 17                                     |                          | 23                       | 75                       | 1735000                  | 565                      |                          |                             |                             |                             | 165                         |                             |
| Chandigarh              | 388             | 388                                     |                                                  |                                        | 27                       | 95                       | 60                       | 975000                   | 36                       |                          | 61                          |                             | 30000                       | 1                           |                             |
| Chhattisgarh            | 1437            | 1436                                    |                                                  | 20                                     | 160                      | H8                       | 90                       | 1214000                  | 375                      | 24                       | 39                          |                             | 20000                       | 312                         |                             |

| Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu   | 250   | 234   | 29   |    |                          | 10   |     | 238500              | 3   |    |        |    |    |         |      |
|------------------------------------|-------|-------|------|----|--------------------------|------|-----|---------------------|-----|----|--------|----|----|---------|------|
| Delhi                              | 1956  | 1956  |      |    | 213                      | 196  | 89  | 3919500             | 473 | 12 | 48     | 27 | 2  | 1968000 | 134  |
| Goa                                | 200   | 200   |      |    | 14                       |      |     | 60000               | 12  | 2  |        |    |    |         |      |
| Gujarat                            | 16022 | 13663 | 2359 | 67 | 757                      | 626  | 668 | 39693358/2474/531   |     |    | 79     | 14 | 2  | 327500  | 499  |
| Haryana                            | 4344  | 4235  | 109  |    | 96| 1086            | 587  | 78  | 9081400/1057        |     | 22 | 60     | 21 |    | 70000   | 321  |
| Himachal Pradesh                   | 1923  | 1745  | 205  | 14 | 294                      | 248  | 249 | 3249100             | 203 | 2  | 15     |    |    |         | 52   |
| Jammu & Kashmir                    | 9265  | 8109  | 1838 |    | 240| 1495/2244/1931 |      |     | 13910840 |3829 |     | 45 | 34     |    |    | 115000  | 185  |
| Jharkhand                          | 706   | 175   | 531  |    | 85                       | 67   | 42  | 919500              | 273 |    | 15     | 8  |    | 70000   | 107  |
| Karnataka                          | 5965  | 5844  | 121  |    | 150                      | 147  | 125 | 1734600             | 173 |    | 13     |    |    |         | 221  |
| Kerala                             | 7890  | 7855  | 351  | 64 | 861                      | 599  | 237 | 7470700|1471   |     |    | 32/361 | 10 |    | 306000  | 1348 |
| Ladakh                             | 66    | 47    | 47   |    | 19                       | 19   | 12  | 113000              | 5   |    |        |    |    |         |      |
| Lakshadweep                        |       |       |      |    |                          |      |     |                     |     |    |        |    |    |         |      |
| Madhya Pradesh                     | 15355 | 16059 | 3409 |    | 889/2011/2786 |2030 |      |     | 69280500/2548/512   |     |    | 169    | 72 | 8  | 764500  | 953  |
| Maharashtra                        | 13118 | 9580  | 3538 |    | 320|1434/1587       |      | 787 | 19160750|4085  |     |    | 89/272 | 12 |    | 33000   | 7981 |
| Manipur                            | 314   | 236   | 78   |    | 3                        |      |     | 40000               |     |    |        |    |    | 3000    |      |
| Meghalaya                          | 309   | 70    | 239  |    |                          |      |     |                     |     |    |        |    |    |         |      |
| Mizoram                            |       |       |      |    |                          |      |     |                     |     |    |        |    |    |         |      |
| Nagaland                           | 157   | 127   | 30   |    | 14                       | 5    |     |                     |     |    |        |    |    |         |      |

| Odisha        | 1168   | 1168   |       |      | 260   | 63    | 52   | 562000              | 98    |      | 43   |     |    |         | 76   |
|---------------|--------|--------|-------|------|-------|-------|------|---------------------|-------|------|------|-----|----|---------|------|
| Puducherry    |        |        |       |      |       |       | 2    | 10000               |       |      |      |     |    |         |      |
| Punjab        | 6768   | 6768   |       |      | 1059  | 784   |      | 9781600             | 1147  | 36   | 63   |     |    | 76000   | 407  |
| Rajasthan     | 12879  | 10386  | 2493  |      | 2891  | 1125  | 626  | 13101075            | 499   | 360  | 33   |     |    | 66020   | 131  |
| Sikkim        | 66     | 66     |       | 5    |       |       |      |                     |       |      |      |     |    |         |      |
| Tamil Nadu    | 19858  | 16363  | 8478  | 1033 | 2745  | 3121  | 2884 | 30086000            | 1804  | 37   | 837  | 360 | 27 | 7863000 | 2249 |
| Telangana     | 3077   | 3077   |       |      | 353   | 281   | 77   | 877600              | 204   |      | 32   |     |    |         | 31   |
| Tripura       | 51     | 31     | 20    |      |       |       |      |                     |       |      |      |     |    |         | 5    |
| Uttar Pradesh | 26934  | 21987  | 10029 | 5372 | 7781  | 13221 |      | 8585|291746400 | 27307 | 1505 | 2694 | 118 | 13 | [660000 | 9714 |
| Uttarakhand   | 2397   | 2511   | 800   | 205  | 355   | 574   | 182  | 6086700             | 922   | 29   | 13   |     |    | 200000  | 52   |
| West Bengal   | 3380   | 2701   | 679   | 67   | 140   | 63    | 52   | 1420500             | 43    |      |      |     |    | 50000   |      |

Includes data from samples tested in both Public and private labs.