Lok Sabha Question No. 653 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-01
Subject: People without Food
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MTNISTRY OF GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtc  DISTRTBUTTON DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.653 TO BE ANSWERED  ON {sr DEGEMBERT2O?I

## PEOPLE WITHOUT FOOD

653. SHRI RATANSINH MAGANSINH  RATHOD:

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR. S.:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

S}IRIMATI $UPRIYA SULE:

DR. SUBHASH  RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY  TATKARE:

Will the Minister of  GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLTC DlsTRtBUTtoN  5nifffr rrrd, ur<-c sit{ Trffif,fi Fffl{ur  t'+ be pteased  to state:

- whether {9 crore people in the country are still sleeping every day without
- (a) a morsel for food and if so, the reasons  therefoq
- (b) whether any measures are being taken to rectify the problem  of persisting hunger/starvation despite  overflowing food grain stock and make food grains more accessible  in the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has been able to control and eradicate hunger in lndia with the implementation of National Food Securitt/ Act; and
- (e)  if so, the details thereof and if not, the corrective steps taken by the Government  in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT  AND GONSUIIIER AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLTG DISTRIBUTTON

(sADHVr NTRANJAN JYOTI)

(a) to (e): Govemment of  lndia enacted National Food SecuriQr Act

(NFSA), 2O{3 which provides for coverage of upto 75o/o ol the rura! populatlon and upto 50% of the urban population  thus addressing  the hunger allevaation of the bottom 670/" ol the population,  which at Census 2O{{ is at a maximum limit of 8{.35 crore persons. ldentification  of beneficiaries  under the Act is under two categories-  households covered  under AnQrodaya  Anna Yoiana (AAY) and PrioritXr Households  (PHH). Priority Households  are entitled to receive  5 Kg per person per month and AAY households are entitled to receive 35 Kg of foodgrains  per household  per  month @ Rs  1lZ3  per  kg  for  coa6egrains/wheaurice respectively.  The Act is operational in a seamless manner across all States/Unaon Territories.  The coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that al! the vulnerable and needy sections of the society  get its benefit.

The implementation of  NFSA through the  Targeted  public Distribution System (TPDS) is a  ioint  responsibility  of the Gentrat  and State Governments/UT Administratlons. The State Governments/UT Administrations  are responsible for the identification  of beneficiaries  and distribution of foodgrains to them. Section 12 of the NF$A provides  for reforms in the Targeted Public Distribution  System through use of technology to make it more targeted and transparent and to address the implementation gaps.

During the year 2O2O-21,  the Government allocated  a quantity  of 944.45 lakh MT of foodgrains to the States/UTs  +rnder  NFSA, Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyaan.Anna  yoiana,  Atmanirbhar Bharat and allocations due to natural calamities and festivals. During the current year i.e. 2021-22, the Government of lndia has so far a ocated 880.73 lakh MT of foodgrains under NFSA, OWS,  pradhan  Mantri Garib Kalyaan Anna Yojana and other additional allocations.  The scheme of Endto-End Gomputerization of the PDS, has ensured raghtfu! targeting of the benefieiaries  al! over the country.

Government  of lndia has issued advisories  to all States/UTs to identify  and cover the weakest  sections of the society under TpDS and launch special drives to issue ration cards to them upto the respective NFSA coverage limits. Advisories  have been issued to alt states/urs that no beneficiary/household shall be deleted from the list  of  eligible beneficiaries/households only on the grounds  of not possessing Aadhaar and shall also not be denied subsidized foodgrains under NFSA due to nonavailability  of Aadhaar or failure of biometric authentication.

The One Nation One Ration Gard (ONORG) has been imptemented  in 34 states/urs which offers the convenience  of portability of ration benefits under the NFSA anywhere in the country with the same/existing ration card to nearly 75 crore beneficiaries.

**!***