Lok Sabha Question No. 5720 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-06
Subject: Items Sold through FPSs
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Guman Singh Damor

## ORIGINAL IN HINDI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5720 TO BE ANSWERED ON APRIL, 2022

## ITEMS SOLD THROUGH FPSS

## +5720. SHRI GUMAN SINGH DAMOR:

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

- (a) the details of benefits provided under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to personslfamilies living below poverty line;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to open Fair Price Shops (FPSs)
- in every village of the country and if SO, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is proposed to sell pulses, edible oil, spices and other items of daily use as well as sell seeds and fertilizers used in agriculture through the FPSs and if SO, the details thereof and if not, whether any policy is proposed to be formulated in this regard; and
- (d) if so, the details in this regard?

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

(a): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is now governed as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) which aims to provide food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity: Coverage under the Act is under two categorieshouseholds covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) to the extent specified by the Central Government and the remaining households as priority households (PHH) to be identified by the State Governmentsl Union Territories (UT) Administrations as per criteria evolved by them, within the coverage determined for the StatelUT. The

Antyodaya Anna   Yojana Households, which constitutes poorest of the poor; are entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per household per month and households belonging to priority category are entitled to receive 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at highly subsidized prices of Rs.3/2/1 per kg for ricel wheatl coarsegrains respectivelyNFSA provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving  foodgrains under   Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Coverage under the Act has been delinked from the poverty estimates: Therefore, there is no BPL category under NFSA:

- (b): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the joint   responsibility of the Central and the StatelUT Governments. The operational responsibility of Fair Price Shops   including issuance of licenses and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc-, rest with the State Governments. As per provisions of TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the State Governments are to ensure that the number of ration card holders attached to a Fair Price Shop are reasonable, the Fair Price Shop is so located that the consumer or ration card holder does not have to face   difficulty to reach the Fair Price shop and that proper coverage is ensured in hilly, desert, tribal and such other areas difficult to access.
- (c) & (d): Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA); only foodgrains, namely Rice, Wheat and Coarse grains are allocated to the States/UTs for distribution to around 80 Crore beneficiaries in the country at  highly subsidised central issue prices, through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) As per the Clause 99) of the TPDS (Control) Order 2015, the State Governments can allow the sale of ccmmodities other than the foodgrains through their Fair Price Shops (FPSs) to improve the viability of fair price shop operations-