Lok Sabha Question No. 1749 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: Ration to Old Age Homes
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Anto  Antony

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1749

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH  JULY, 2022

## RATION TO OLD AGE HOMES

## 1749.  SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION उपभोᲦा मामले , खा᳒ और सावᭅजिनक िवतरण मंᮢी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is providing ration under Food Security Act to the Old Age Homes and other such institutions in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the details of number of such institutions and the expenditure incurred by the  Government to provide rations to that institutions  during the last eight years, year-wise and State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has withdrawn ration being provided under the Food Security Act to the old age homes and other such institutions;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  received  representations/requests  to restore the facility to these organisations; and
- (f) if  so,  the  details  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard?

## A N S W E R

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

- (a):   The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) aims to provide food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.

The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural and upto 50% of the urban population, i.e. about two-thirds of the total population of the country, for receiving foodgrains at highly subsidized prices of Rs.3/2/1 per kg for rice/ wheat/ coarsegrains respectively. Under the Act, there are two categories of beneficiaries - Antyodaya Anna Yojana Households and the Priority Households. While Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households that constitute the poorest of the poor are legally entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month, priority households are entitled to 5 kg per person per month.

In  addition  to  this,  the  Act  provides  that  pregnant  women  and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years are entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child  Development  Services  (ICDS)  and  Mid-Day  Meal  (MDM)  schemes. Higher nutritional norms are prescribed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age.

Provision  to  provide  ration  to  Old  Age  Homes  and  other  such institutions is outside the purview of NFSA 2013. However, under welfare Institutions and Hostels Scheme for SC/ST/OBC, beggars homes, Hostels for  SC/STs  and  backward  classes  students,  homes  for  street  children, destitute,  neglected,  delinquent  and  abundant  children,  juveniles,  older persons, Nari Niketan etc. are provided food grains at subsidized rates.

(b) to (f): Does not arise.

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