Lok Sabha Question No. 492 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Welfare of FPS Dealers
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.492 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20TH JULY, 2022

## WELFARE OF FPS DEALERS

## 492. PROF. SOUGATA RAY:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the steps taken to ensure the welfare of Fair Price Shop
- dealers in the country;
- whether the Fair Price Shop Dealers Union demanded welfare schemes for
- (b) them;
- (c) if sO, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken to ensure their welfare?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under NFSA; 2013 is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the StatelUt Governments. The operational responsibility  including issuance of licenses to Fair Price Shops (FPSs), supervision and monitoring of the functioning Fair Price shops etc-, rest with the concerned StatelUT Government: As per Clause 9(9) of the TPDS (C) Order, 2015, the State Government shall allow sale of commodities other than the foodgrains distributed under the TPDS at the fair price shops to improve the viability of the fair price shop operations:

To improve the financial viability of FPSs, this Department has requested all the StateslUTs to take up initiatives through FPSs such as providing Common Service Centre (CSC) services, Banking services through tie-up with banksl corporate  Banking Correspondences, Banking and citizen-centric services of India Post Payment Bank (IPPB); Retail selling of small (Skg) LPG cylinders, Sale of other commoditiesl   general store items, Converting FPS into 'Public Data Office' under the PM-WANI scheme etc. Further, Government of India has enhanced the norms of margin payable to FPS dealers with effect from April, 2022 as per details at Annexure A:

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION No.492 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 20.07.2022 IN THE LOK SABHA

| Category of States and Union Territories   | Norms of expenditure (Rate in rupee per quintal) Fair Price dealers margin Shop   | Norms of expenditure (Rate in rupee per quintal) Fair Price dealers margin Shop   | Central Share (In percentage)   |
|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Category of States and Union Territories   | Basic                                                                             | Additional margin for sale through of sale device point                           | Central Share (In percentage)   |
| General                                    | 90                                                                                | 21                                                                                | 50                              |
| Special                                    | 180                                                                               | 26                                                                                | 75                              |