Lok Sabha Question No. 4385 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-30
Subject: Efficient Distribution of Foodgrains
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4385 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30TH MARCH, 2022

## EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION OF FOODGRAINS

t4385. SHRI JASWANT SINGH BHABHOR:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC

- (a) the new initiativeslmeasures taken by the Ministry to streamline the implementation processes to ensure timely and efficient procurement as well as distribution f food grains; and
- (b) the impact of these initiativeslmeasures taken thereon?

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND

## CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a) and (b): The new initiativeslmeasures taken by the Ministry to streamline the implementation processes to ensure timely and efficient procurement as well as distribution of food grains and impact thereof is as under:
- i. Direct Benefit Transfer  (DBT) of Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been implemented across the country from Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2021-22. DBT eliminates fictitious beneficiaries and reduces the diversion and duplication of payment as payment is made directly to farmer's bank account which in many States is linked with Aadhaar number of the farmer. It has brought in  responsibility, transparency, real time monitoring and reduces pilferage in the system:

ii. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and most of the State Governments have    developed their own Online Procurement System which ushers in transparency and convenience to the farmers through proper registration and monitoring of actual procurement:  Through e-procurement module deployed by procuring Agencies, farmers latestlupdated information regarding MSP declared, nearest purchase center, date of procurement etc: This not only has reduced the waiting period for delivery of stock by the farmers but also enables the farmer to deliver stock as per his convenience in the nearest mandi: get

Government has introduced Minimum Threshold Parameters (MTPs); integrating all such state procurement portals with a central portal, towards developing an application eco-system, wherein requisite information regarding procurement is available at a single source, for monitoring and strategic decision  making and to ensure uniformity and transparency: MTP involves online registration of farmers with Aadhar seeding,  integration of land records,  digitized mandi operations, autogeneration of bills and these features help in eliminating middlemen from the process of procurement and better   targeting of MSP to the farmers. etc, iv. In order to prevent recycling in procurement operations, Govt: of India has introduced a validated chemical method by using pH mixed indicators to determine the age of raw Rice from Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22.

V. In distribution system, digitization of ration  cards, installation of electronic Point of Sale (ePos) devices at the Fair Price Shops (FPSs) and Aadhaar seeding with ration cards have been introduced. The transactions in Fair Price (FPS) are carried in a transparent manner through ePos devices with biometriclAadhaar authentication of beneficiaries on a monthly basis: It has helped the StatesUTs to prevent the malpractices at the ground level and removal of irregularities in distribution of subsidised foodgrains to beneficiaries: Shop

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