Lok Sabha Question No. 244 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-20
Subject: NFSA Beneficiaries
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: S. Gnanathiraviam, Vijay Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY  OF GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 244 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 2o[JULY,2O2{

## NFSA BENEF!GIARIES

244. SHRI GNANATHIRAVIAM S.:

sHRl VIJAYAI(UMAR (ALIAS) VIJAY VASAI{TH:

Will the Minister of  GONSUMER AFFAIRS' FOOD AND PUBLIG DlsTRlBuTloN 5q'ef1.trr arrd, uru sik €rffiq'  iff,{uT d*  be pleased to state:

- (a) the estimated  number of peopte  in the country  presently availing free rations under National Food Security Act (NFSA), State'wise;
- (b)  whether the Govemrnent is aware that nearly {.97 crore poor padicularty  from the most vulnerabte  groups have been left out and a substantial number of duplicate and fake ration card holders are availing
- benefits;
- (c) if so, whether the Union Government  has asked States to launch a special drive to identify the most vulnerable  groups and to extend benefits to the deserving;
- (d) if so, the action taken by the States on Gentre's directive, State-wise; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## AiISWER

MINISTER  OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND GONSUMER  AFFAIRS' FOOD & PUBLTC DISTRIBUTION (sADHVr NTRANJAN JYOTI)

(a): The Hational Food Security Act, 2O'13 (NFSA) provides  for coverage of upto 75olo of the rural and 5oo/o of the urban population  which at Gensus 2O{l comes to a{35 crore persons, for receiving highly subsidized  foodgrains  i.e. rice/ wheat/ coarse grains @ Rs.3/2/{  per kitogram respectively.  At present, about 79.5{ crore pensons afe covered under the Act across the country. A statement indicating the State/Union  Territory'wise  number of beneficiaries presenfly covered under the ilFSA is at annexure. tn addition to the entitlement  under the NFSA, these beneliciaries  are also entitled to receive 5 kg of foodgrains (rice / wheat)  per person per month, free of cost from May to l{ovember  r  2O21 under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yoiana to mitigate the impact of the Govid pandemic'

(b) to (e): The National Food Security Act is operated under the  ioint responsibility of the Central  and the State Governments. The responsibilityr of identification of eligible beneficiaries under the Act rests with the State Government as per the provisions of the Act. The Gentra! Govemment  has issued an advisory  to all the States/Union Territories to adentify all eligible and poor persons/ households including vulnerable Sections of the Society for inclusion under the NFSA. States are undertaking  cleaning up of theil beneficiary database  so that bogus ration cards get deleted and befter targeting of rightlful beneficiaries is ensured. There is no report from any of the States/Union  Territories regarding  exclusion of neady {.97 crore poor particularly  from vulnerable  groups.

## IINNE:XITRE  RTFERRED  TO III PART (al Or ITNSTARRED  QITESTIOIT  NO.244 DI'T E1OR ANS\TER,  OItq8O7.2O21 IIT TTIE LOK SABHA

## State-wise  number of beneftciaries  covered under the Natlonal Food Security Act, 2O{3

| Sl. No.   | States/ UTs       | No. of persons covered under NFSA (in lakh)   |
|-----------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 264.22                                        |
| 2         | Amnachal Pradesh  | 8.40                                          |
| 3         | Assam             | 25L.t7                                        |
| 4         | Bihar             | 871. 16                                       |
| 5         | Chattisgarh       | 200.77                                        |
| 6         | Delhi             | 72.78                                         |
| 7         | Goa               | 5.32                                          |
| 8         | Guj arat          | 34t.7 t                                       |
| 9         | Haryana           | t26.49                                        |
| 10        | Himachal Pradesh  | 28.64                                         |
| 11        | Jharkhand         | 263.70                                        |
| l2        | Karnataka         | 401.93                                        |
| 13        | Kerala            | 154.80                                        |
| ).4       | Madhya Pradesh    | 482.54                                        |
| 15        | Maharashtra       | 700.t7                                        |
| 16        | Manipur           | 18.60                                         |
| 77        | Meghalaya         | 2t.46                                         |
| 18        | Mizoram           | 6.68                                          |
| 19        | Nagaland          | 14.05                                         |
| 20        | Odisha            | 324.33                                        |
| 2t        | Punjab            | 141.51                                        |
| c,        | Rajasthan         | 440.01                                        |
| zc        | Sikkim            | 3.79                                          |
|           | Tamil Nadu        | 364.69                                        |
| 25        | Telangaoa         | 79t.62                                        |
| 26        | Tripura           | 24.43                                         |
| 27        | 'Uttar Pradesh    | t47t.92                                       |
| 28        | Uttarakhand       | 6t.94                                         |
| 29        | West Bengal       | 601.84                                        |
| 30        | A&N               | 0.61                                          |
| 31        | DNH&DD            | 2.98                                          |
| 32        | Lakshadweep       | o.22                                          |
| 33        | Ctrandigarh (DBT) | 2.66                                          |
| 34        | hrduchery (DBT)   | 6.24                                          |
| 35        | J&K               | 72.41                                         |
| 36        | Ladakh            | t.44                                          |
|           | Total             | 795t.69                                       |