Lok Sabha Question No. 1444 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Antyodaya Anna Yojana
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1444 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST JULY, 2024

## ANTYODAYA ANNA YO JANA

## 1444  DR. KALANIDHI  VEERASWAMY

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUtION W+WI nq& ©r93it VT+d+% fqawr qf be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana;
- (b) the details of the funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under this yojana within  Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
- (C) the details of the criteria  fixed by the Government  to get the benefits of this yojana;
- (d) the details of  the targets set and achievements made thereunder so far;
- (e) whether the cases of  ineligible people getting benefits from this yojana has come to the notice of the Government;  and
- (f) if  so, the details thereof, State-wise along with  the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BANIBIIANIYA)

- (a): The Antyodaya Anna Yojana(AAY)  was introduced by the Government in December, 2000, for  1  crore poorest  of  poor families across the country to  be identified from amongst the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in all States/UTs at that time. Since then, the coverage under AAY  has been expanded three times i.e. during 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06, covering additional 50 lakh households each time. Thus, increasing the total coverage under AAY  up  to  2.50 crore families. Under the TPDS, foodgrains were provided at subsidized prices upto December, 2022. However, w.e.f. Ist January, 2023, foodgrains under the Act are being distributed  to  eligible beneficiaries free of  cost under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yoj ana

2/-

- (b): The  Government of India allocates subsidized foodgrains  to  States/UTs for monthly distribution to  all NFS A  ration  card holders including  AAY  households. The details of  foodgrains allocated to  Tamil Nadu  during last three years as well  as current year  under AAY scheme, are as under

(in Thousand Tons)

| 2021 -22   | 2021 -22   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2023 -24   | 2023 -24   | 2024-25(Upto June, 2024)   | 2024-25(Upto June, 2024)   |
|------------|------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| c          | ma         | o         | mao       |            | ma         | c                          | ma                         |
|            |            |           | m8        | m8         | n8         | m9                         | no                         |

Further,  the details of  fund  released under the Centrally  Sponsored Scheme -  '  Assistance to State Agencies for  intra- state movement of foodgrains and FPS dealers' margin under NFS A'  to the State of Tamil Nadu in the last three years is as follows

(Fig. in Rs. crore)

| Year     |   Amount released |
|----------|-------------------|
| 2021 -22 |            131.65 |
| 2022-23  |            543.01 |
| 2023 -24 |            145.9  |
| Total    |            820.56 |

(c): As per the guidelines issued by the Government, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (MY) households are to be identified  by States/Union Territories  (urs) as per the following criteria:

- (1) Landless agriculture labourers, marginal farmers, rural  artisans /craftsmen, such as potters, tanners, weavers, blacksmiths,  carpenters, slum dwellers and persons earning  their livelihood on daily basis in the informal sector like porters, coolies, rickshaw pullers, hand cart pullers, fruit and flower  sellers, snake charmers, rag  pickers, cobblers,  destitute and other similar categories in both rural and urban areas;
2. (ii)  Households headed by  widows  or  terminally  ill persons/disabled persons/ persons aged 60 years or more with  no assured means of

subsistence  or societal support;

- (iii)Widows or terminally ill  persons or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more or single women or  single men with  no  family  or  societal support or  assured means of subsistence;
- (iv)  All  primitive  tribal  households;
- (v)  All  eligible  Below Poverty Line (BPL) families of HIV  positive persons
- (d): Presently,  against the ceiling  of  2.5  crore AAY  households under NFSA,  about 2.37 Crore AAY  households are covered by the States/UTs in the country

(e) & (f): The Public Distribution  System (PDS) is operated under joint  responsibilities of the Central and State/UT Governments.  The operational responsibilities including  identification  of eligible households/beneficiaries,  issuance of Ration  Cards etc. rest with  the respective State/UT  Government. Further, as per clause 3 (13) of the TPDS Control Order, the State Govemment shall regularly review the list of the eligible households  for the purpose of deletion of  ineligible households  or inclusion of eligible households  upto the ceiling limit  fixed for every State/UT.

Since the TPDS is  operated under joint  responsibility,  as and when complaints for  any State/UT are  received in  this  Department from  any source regarding any  irregularities in  the functioning  of the TPDS, these complaints are forwarded to the concerned State/UF Government for inquiry and appropriate action at their end. An offence committed  in violation of the provisions  of PDS (Control)  Order, 2015 is liable  for  penal action under the Essential Commodities Act,  1955. Thus, the Order empowers State/UF Governments to take punitive action in case of  contravention of  relevant provisions of these Orders

f

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