Lok Sabha Question No. 1813 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-08
Subject: Exclusion of Vulnerable Population
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Mimi Chakraborty

)

## ) GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY  OF GONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtC  DISTRIBUTIOI{

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1813 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 8TH DECEMBER,2021

## EXCLUSION OF VULNERABLE  POPULATION

## {8{3. MS. MIMI CHAKRABORTY:

Will the Minlster of  GONBUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION  SctTifir  rnri, ureg gt  Trffi6  Ffirur zi* be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the number of vulnerabte poputafions excluded from the public distribution  system;
- (b) if so, the detaals thereof  and if not the reasons  therefo4
- (c) whether the Govemment is aware that relying on 2Oi1 census data to calculate state-wise  (PDS)  coverage ls outdated  and leads to exclusion of crores of beneficlaries  and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Govemment is taking steps to update the database to identify beneflciaries  thereof  and if so, the detaits thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has formulated  or has plans  to fomutate  specific steps to address the issue conceming the populatlon without  ration cards that have been left out of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna  yoiana  (pIIlGKAy) thereto; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof  and if not, the reasons  therefor?

## ANSWER

IIINISTER OF STATE FOR MTNISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPIIIENT  AND CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (saDHvt NTRANJAN JYOTD

(a) & (b): Government  of lndia enacted ilationa! Food Security Aclr 2O13 (NFSA) which provides for coverage  of about 75o/o ol the rural and SO% of the urban population (67% ot the total population  of the country) for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which at Gensus 2O{.1 comes to about 8{.35 crore. At present, approx 79.53 crore pensons  are covered under the Act. The coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. Directions are also issued by Government  of lndia to all States to ensure full coverage of al! vulnerable groups. However identifications and issue of ration cards is responsibility  of the State Govenments.

(c) & (d): Gorresponding  to the alt India coverage of upto 75Dlo and upto 50% in the rural and urban areas, state-wise coverage  was determined by the then Planning Commission  (now NlTl Aayog) by using the I{SSO Household  Gonsumption Expenditure survey data for zo11-12.  section 9 of the Act provides that the percentage  coverage under the Targeted  public Distribution  system in rural and urban areas for each state shall be determined  by the Gentral Govemment and the total number of percons  to be covered  in such rural and urban areas of the state shal! be calculated on the basis of the population  estimates  as per the census of which the relevant figures have been published. Any change in the state/ur-wise coverage is possible  only after the poputation data of next Gensus is published.

(e) & (0:  A special dispensation was attowed for April..fun e 2O2O lo allocate foodgrains for all the beneficiaries,  who are not covered  under NFSA and to whom ration cards have been issued by the State Governments under their own scheme @ 5 kg per person per month. Under this, foodgrains were supplied by Food Gorporation  of  tndia to states/Union  Territories  at flat rates of Rs 21122 per kg for wheau rice throughout the country, as per the demand of the States/UTs. The dispensation  has been renewed for the period from May 2021 to March 2022.