Lok Sabha Question No. 1312 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-27
Subject: Irregularities in PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Krupal Balaji Tumane, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERIIME}fT  OF Il{D!A

## MIl{lSTRy  OF CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtC  DTSTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UI{STARRED  OUESTION T{O. {3{2

## TO BE ANSWERED  ON 27'HJULY,2O2/I

## IRREGULARITIES  !N PDS

t1312. SHR| KRUPAL BALAJT TUMAI{E:

SHRI SANJAY JADHAV:

Will the Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD AilD PUBLIG

- (a) whether complatnts have been recelyed regarding irregularlties/dlversion/corruption  In the Pubtic Dlstribution  system (pDS|, lf so

DtsTRlBUTtoN  rrTtrtfir err&, arf-a ah grffir franUI  d,* be pteased  to state:

- the detalls thereof;
- (b) the action taken durlng each ot the tast three yeanr and the curent year, State-wise;
- (c)
- whether the Goyemment has conducted any revlsion/evaluataon of  pDS recently, if so, the details thereof including  the outcome  thereof and acffon taken thereon;
- (d)  whether the Govemment has taken or proposes  to take any neu, inltlatlves  to make PDS strong or to streamtine,  lf so the detalts thereof;
- (e)  whether any system has been started for dasposal of comptaints regarding corruptlon in PDS, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether any system exlsts for checking the quatity  of the food products distrlbuted under PDS; if so, the detalts thereof?

AlTSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MI]TISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND coNsuMER AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtC  DTSTRIBUTION

(sADHVt  NtRANJAI{ JYOTT

(a) & (b): The Targeted Public Distributlon System (TPDS)  is operated under the ioint  responsibilities  of the Gentral and the State/UT  Govemments,  whereln the operatlonal  responsibilities, such as identification  of beneficlaries/  households under the National Food Securityr Act, 2Ol3 (NFSA), issuance of rafion cards to them, allocation  of foodgralns to all Fair Price Shops (FpSs), d:stribuuon to beneflciaries,  licensing & monltoring  of FPSs, grievance  redressal  of benoflctarles includlng irregularities/ diverslon/ corruptlon in TpDS operations,  etc. lies wtth the concemed  State/UT govemment. However, as and when any complalnts are recelved in this Department from andlvlduals,  organizations  as wett as through medla reports regarding  any irregularaties ln the lunctioning of the TpDS are forwarded  to the concemed State/UT Govemment for inqutry and appropriate actlon at their end. A State/UT  wise statement  showing  number of comptaints recelved in thls Department  during the last three years and current year up to 30.06.2021 is at Annexure  -1.

-2-

Futther, an offence committed in viotation  of the provisions  of the TPDS (Gontrol) Order, 2O{5 is liable for penal action under the Essential Gommodities  Act,  1955. Thus, the  Order empowers all  State/UT Governments to take punltive actions an case of contravention  of the relevant provisions of the Order. Durlng the last three yearE 2l,18 to 2O2O and current year up to 30.06.202{, a Statement on actions pedaining to number of FPS licenses suspended/cancelled/  show-cause notlces issued/ FlRs lodged  by States/UTs is at Annexure-tl.

- (c): The Department had engaged 26 esteemed institutions/  unavercitaes as Monitoring lnstitutions (Mls) for conducting the  .Goncurrent  Evaluataon of the implementation of NFSA' in States/UTs during 2O1A-2O. The quatterly reports were shared with the respective States/UTs for remedlal action, if any highlighted  by Mls in the key areas of beneficiary management,  FPS automation,  supply chain management, portability of ration catds, cash transferc, etc. Taking a  step forward, for the period 2O2O-23.  lhe Department has engaged { 2 Mls for concurrent  evaluation  exercise in States/UTs on implementation of NFSA and some thematic areas of PDS.
- (d) & (e): To bring reforms in the functioning  of TPDS, the Department  in association with all States/UTs  had implemented a scheme  on  .End.to-End Computerization of TPDS Operations', comprising  -  digitizatlon of ration cards/beneficiariest data, computerization  of supply chain management of foodgrains, set{ing up of online  grievance  redressal  mechanisms  & toll free helplines and the installation  of electronic Point of Sale (eP.oS) devices at the Fair Prlce Shops (FPSs)  for transparent and efficient distribution  of highly subsidised toodgrains  to the targeted beneliciaries/ househotds under NFSA, Besides, Aadhaar seeding of beneficiaries with their ratlon cards is also belng done to enable rightful targetlng  of beneficiarles. Presently, more than 7Oo/o ol monthly allocated foodgrains  to States/UTs are being distributed to beneficiaries  through biometrlcally authenticated ePoS transactions  on monthly basis. Further, portabllity  of ration cards under One Nation One Ration Gard plan is also enabled in 33 States/UTs covering almost 86.70/o NFSA population (about 69  Crorc I|FSA beneficiaries)  in the country to lift their foodgrains  from any FPS of thelr choice in these States/UTs.  Delhi being the latest to enable the same from July 2021.

...,...3/-

- (O:  The Department has issued following instructions  to all States/UTs and FGI to ensure the supply of good quality foodgrains under  pDS:
- i) Only good quality foodgrains  free from insect infestation and conforming to Food Safety Standards shall be issued under TpDS and other wetfare schemes.
- ii) Ample opportunities  shall be provided to the State GovemmenUUTs Administration  to inspeet the stocks prior to lifting from FCI godowns. State/UTs may ensure that officets not below the rank of lnspeetor are deputed for inspection  of the foodgrains before their lifting from FGI godowns.
- iii) Samples of foodgrains shall be collected and sealed from the stocks of foodgrains  to be issued under the TPDS  iointly by FGI and State GovernmenUUT Administration"
- iv) An officer not below.the rank of lnspector shall be deputed from State Government  to take the delivery of foodgrains  stocks from FGI godowns.
- v) Regular inspection to check the quality  of foodgrains  shall be caried out by the officers of State Govemment.
- vi) lt is  the  responsibility  of  the  concerned State GovemmenUUT Administration shall ensure that during transportation  and storage at different  stages in the distribution  chain, the foodgrains  retain the required quality  specifications.
- vii) 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 rlesired standards under the Food Safety and Standards  Authority  of lndia (FSSAI).

## Annexure.l

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO lN REPLY TO PART (a)&(b) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.'3{2 FOR ANSWER  O}127.7.2021 IN THE LOK SABHA.

## STATEMENT:  COMPLAINTS ON TPDS RECEIVED IN TIIE DEPARTMENT FROM INDTVIDUALS,  ORGANISATIONS  & THROUGTI MEDIA REPORTS  ETC FROM 2018 TO 30.06.2021

| S. No.   | State/Ulll        | 2018   | 2019   | 2020   | 2021   |
|----------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| I        | Andhra Pradesh    | 6      | 6      | 20     | 4      |
| .,       | Arunachal Pradesh | I      | 1      |        |        |
| 3        | Assa m            | 7      | 8      | 39     | 1      |
| 4        | Bihar             | 135    | 119    | 33s    | 97     |
|          | Chhattisgarh      | 9      | 7      | t7     | 7      |
| 6        | Delhi             | 76     | 8l     | 186    | 93     |
| 7        | Goa               |        | I      |        |        |
| 8        | Gujarat           | 8      | 9      | 36     | 10     |
| 9        | Haryanar          | 35     | 39     | 69     | 31     |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh  | I      | I      | )      | I      |
| ll       | J&K               |        | 3      | 7      | 4      |
| t2       | Jharkhand         | 33     | t7     | 49     | 87     |
| 13       | Karnataka         | l5     | 18     | 69     | r0     |
| t4       | Kerala            | ll     | 11     | 13     | 7      |
| l5       | Madhya Pradesh    | 24     | 26     | J5     | 28     |
| t6       | Maharashtra       | 34     | 24     | ls0    | 42     |
| t7       | Manipur           | )      |        | .,     | I      |
| t8       | Meghalaya         |        | I      | 1      |        |
| t9       | Mizoranr          |        |        |        |        |
| 20       | Nagaland          |        | I      | I      |        |
| 2t       | 0rissa            | I6     | 16     | 39     | 30     |
| 22       | Punjab            | 'r7    | t4     | 32     | 8      |
| 23       | Rajasthan         | 38     | 24     | 45     | 20     |
| 24       | Sikkim            |        |        |        |        |
| 25       | Tamil Nadu        | ,1     | 16     | 46     | 23     |
| 26       | Telangana         | 3      | 3      | 18     | 26     |
| 27       | Tripura           |        |        | 1      | I      |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 15     | t4     | 27     | 14     |
| 29       | Uttar Pradesh     | 369    | 343    | s89    |        |
| 30       | West Bengal       | 43     | 5l     | 213    | 63     |
| 3t       | A&N Island        | I      |        |        |        |
| 32       | Chandigarh        | .,     |        | 5      | 3      |
| 33       | D& N H,aveli      |        |        | ,,     |        |
| 34       | Daman {E Diu      |        |        |        |        |
| 35       | Lakshadrveep      | I      |        |        |        |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 2      | I      | 6      |        |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL             | 947    | 855    | 2076   | 611    |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO tN  REpLy TO PART (a)&(b) OF THE UNSTARRED  QUESTION  t{O.{3I2 FOR AHSWER ON 27.7.2021 IN THE LOK SABHA.

Statement  showing results ofaction taken by the StateruT Governments  under relevant ctauses of the PDSITPDS (Control)  Orders as per receipt during last three years and current  year 30.06.2021.

|   SI No -'.T. | Name of the State/UT Irfirdq tE?r dlf fir ;Irfr   | Year Et   | Number of FPS Licenses suspended/ Cancelled/Show cause notices issued/FlR Lodged fu{ftrrre sfra <r grra drfnl$/ urt fuq zrq 6Kq raBff alRsl rS qFrRffi *t   |
|---------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|             1 | Andhra Pradesh 3rig cear                          | 2018      | frqr 575                                                                                                                                                    |
|             1 | Andhra Pradesh 3rig cear                          | 2079      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             1 | Andhra Pradesh 3rig cear                          | 2020      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             1 | Andhra Pradesh 3rig cear                          | 2021      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             2 | Assam 3fifIl'                                     | 2018      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             2 | Assam 3fifIl'                                     | 2079      | 82                                                                                                                                                          |
|             2 | Assam 3fifIl'                                     | 2420      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             2 | Assam 3fifIl'                                     | 202L      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             3 | Chhattisga rl'                                    | 2018      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             3 | Chhattisga rl'                                    | 2019      | 50                                                                                                                                                          |
|             3 | Chhattisga rl'                                    | 2020      | 09                                                                                                                                                          |
|             3 | Chhattisga rl'                                    | 7027      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             4 | Goa etgr                                          | 2018      | 21                                                                                                                                                          |
|             4 | Goa etgr                                          | 2079      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             4 | Goa etgr                                          | 2020      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             4 | Goa etgr                                          | 2027      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             5 | Gujarat rlEfi[It[                                 | 2018      | 221                                                                                                                                                         |
|             5 | Gujarat rlEfi[It[                                 | 2AL9      | 280                                                                                                                                                         |
|             5 | Gujarat rlEfi[It[                                 | 2020      | 7L                                                                                                                                                          |
|             5 | Gujarat rlEfi[It[                                 | 202L      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             6 | Karnataka aiatffi                                 | 2018      | 149                                                                                                                                                         |
|             6 | Karnataka aiatffi                                 | 2019      | 181                                                                                                                                                         |
|             6 | Karnataka aiatffi                                 | 2020      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             6 | Karnataka aiatffi                                 | 2021      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             7 | Kerala ii:ffr                                     | '201A     | 3139                                                                                                                                                        |
|             7 | Kerala ii:ffr                                     | 2019      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             7 | Kerala ii:ffr                                     | 2020      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             7 | Kerala ii:ffr                                     | 7021      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             8 | odisha T.S{T                                      | 2018      | 2r                                                                                                                                                          |
|             8 | odisha T.S{T                                      | 2019      | 08                                                                                                                                                          |
|             8 | odisha T.S{T                                      | zo20      |                                                                                                                                                             |
|             8 | odisha T.S{T                                      | 2A?7      |                                                                                                                                                             |

| 9        | t,1L;rfufiFre                             | 2018                       | 00    |
|----------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------|-------|
| 9        | t,1L;rfufiFre                             | 2019 (upto June 19)        | 00    |
| 9        | t,1L;rfufiFre                             | 2020                       |       |
| 9        | t,1L;rfufiFre                             | 2027                       |       |
| 10       | Tamil Nadu dfrFIalsr                      | 2018                       | 00    |
| 10       | Tamil Nadu dfrFIalsr                      | 2019                       | 00    |
| 10       | Tamil Nadu dfrFIalsr                      | 2020                       |       |
| 10       | Tamil Nadu dfrFIalsr                      | 2.021                      |       |
| LL       | Tripura Eqg                               | 2078                       | 290   |
| LL       | Tripura Eqg                               | zo79                       | 406   |
| LL       | Tripura Eqg                               | 2070                       |       |
| LL       | Tripura Eqg                               | 202L                       |       |
| t2       | Uttar Pradesh 'cT{ celr                   | 2018 (April 18 - March,19) | 9419  |
| t2       | Uttar Pradesh 'cT{ celr                   | 2019(April 19 - Nov,19)    | 4485  |
| t2       | Uttar Pradesh 'cT{ celr                   | 2020                       |       |
| t2       | Uttar Pradesh 'cT{ celr                   | 2021                       |       |
| 13       | A&N rslands SigrIrd 3itt fr*tdr r-+s {r{6 | 2018                       |       |
| 13       | A&N rslands SigrIrd 3itt fr*tdr r-+s {r{6 | 2019                       |       |
| 13       | A&N rslands SigrIrd 3itt fr*tdr r-+s {r{6 | 2020                       | 1     |
| 13       | A&N rslands SigrIrd 3itt fr*tdr r-+s {r{6 | 2021                       |       |
| L4       | Puducherry tGgQt                          | 20L8                       | 00    |
| L4       | Puducherry tGgQt                          | 2079                       | 00    |
| L4       | Puducherry tGgQt                          | 2020                       |       |
| L4       | Puducherry tGgQt                          | 2027                       |       |
| rotalqtg | rotalqtg                                  | 2018                       | 13836 |
|          |                                           | 7079                       | 5493  |
|          |                                           | 2020                       | 81    |
|          |                                           | 2021                       |       |
|          |                                           |                            | 19410 |

Remarks:  - No information received  from other remaining  state / UTs for aforesaid period.