Lok Sabha Question No. 1750 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: ONORC in Rajasthan
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Jaskaur Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1750 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH  JULY, 2022

## ONORC IN RAJASTHAN

†1750.  SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA:

Will the Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION उपभोᲦा मामले , खा᳒ और सावᭅजिनक िवतरण मंᮢी be pleased to state:

- (a) the salient features of Public Distribution System (PDS);
- (b) the details of amount sanctioned, allocated and utilised under this system in Rajasthan during the last three years;
- (c) the details of the targets fixed and the achievements made so far under the same;
- (d) whether  the  One  Nation  One  Ration  Card  (ONORC)  along  with  Pradhan Mantri  Gareeb  Kalyan  Anna  Yojana  (PMGKAY)  served  as  a  lifeline  to  food security for the people during the pandemic;
- (e) if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether the Government contemplates to improve the PDS and storage sector; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof?

A N S W E R MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a)    Public  Distribution  System  (PDS)  is  implemented  under  the  National  Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 in all States/UTs. The Act provides coverage upto 75% of  the  rural  population  and  upto  50%  of  the  urban  population  for  receiving foodgrains (rice, wheat & coarsegrains) at highly subsidized rates of Rs. 3/2/1  per kg respectively.    Under the Act eligible families comprise of Priority Households (PHH)  and  Antyodaya  Anna  Yojana  (AAY)  families. The  Priority  Households  are entitled  to  receive  5  kg  of  foodgrains  per  person  per  month  and  the  families covered under the AAY receive 35 kg of foodgrains per month per family at the same rate.

NFSA  is  operated  under  the  joint  responsibilities  of  the  Central  and State/UT  Governments.  Central  Government  is  responsible  for  procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The operational responsibilities for identification  of  eligible  beneficiaries/families,  issuance  of  ration  cards  to them, distribution of  foodgrains  to  eligible  beneficiaries  and  supervision  and monitoring  of  functioning  of  Fair  Price  Shops  (FPSs),  etc.  rests  with  the concerned State/UT Government.

- (b) & (c):  This Department allocates only subsidized foodgrains to States/UTs for monthly distribution to all NFSA ration card holders instead of allocation of funds. Rajasthan does not submit food subsidy claims to this Department and hence no subsidy has been released to the State of Rajasthan during the last three years.
- (d) & (e): Yes,  sir.  ONORC  along  with  PMGKAY  has  proved  to  be  a  lifeline during  COVID-19  pandemic  period.  This  is  corroborated  from  the  fact  that about 69 Crore portable transactions have taken place across all States/UTs during Covid period itself.

Under  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Gareeb  Kalyan  Anna  Yojana  (PMGKAY)', additional  free-of-cost  5  kg  foodgrains  is  provided  to  around  80  Crore  NFSA beneficiaries in the country to ameliorate the food security hardships faced by the poor  and needy  due  to unprecedented  outbreak  of the  pandemic, consequent lockdowns and thus the economic disruptions caused across the country.  PMGKAY has been implemented for 25-month period over 6 phases since  April,  2020  with  an  earmarked  total  financial  outlay  of  approximately Rs.3.4 Lakh Crore, and total food grains allocation of nearly 999 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT).

- (f)  &  (g):  Under  PDS  reforms,  ration  cards/beneficiaries  database  have  been completely digitized in all States/UTs, transparency portal and online grievance  redressal  facility/Toll-free  number  have  been  implemented  in  all States/UTs, online allocation has been implemented in all States/UTs (except UTs of Chandigarh and Puducherry which have adopted Direct Benefit Transfer Cash  Transfer  scheme)  and  supply  chain  has  been  computerized  in  31 States/UTs. Further, about 99% ration cards are seeded with Aadhaar number and almost all FPSs have been automated by installation of ePoS devices for the distribution of foodgrains in a transparent manner (electronically) through biometric /Aadhaar authentication of NFSA beneficiaries.

In so far as storage of public foodgrains is concerned, FCI continuously assesses  and  monitors  the  storage  capacity  and  based  on  the  storage  gap assessment,  storage  capacities  are  created/hired  through  various  schemes; such  as,  Private  Entrepreneurs  Guarantee  (PEG)  Scheme,  Central  Sector Scheme (CSS), Construction of Silo's under PPP mode, Hiring of godown from Corporation

Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC)/ State Warehousing (SWCs)/State Agencies, Private Warehousing Scheme (PWS).

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