Lok Sabha Question No. 468 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Paddy Procurement
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan, Suresh Kodikunnil, N.K. Premachandran

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRSI FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.468 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6TH DECEMBERI 2023

## PADDY PROCUREMENT

468.  SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN: SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH: SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRSI FOOD  AND PUBLIC

DiSTRiBUTiON  37 stIer qm8, @ra at  €T8rfRq f+twr  ++  be pleased  to  state:

- (a) whether the Union Government has fixed supporting price for Paddy and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Union Government supports the State of  Kerala for paddy procurement from the farmers and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Union Government has released amount to the State of Kerala for Paddy Procurement from the farmers;
- (d) if so, the details of amount released during the last five years;
- (e) whether the Union Government has released the entire amount to the State of Kerala for Paddy procurement as demanded;
- (f) if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor;
- (g) whether  it  has  come  to  the  notice of  the  Government  that  paddy farmers are committing suicide due to  the policy adopted by the Government for paddy procurement;  and
- (h) if  so, the  action taken to  protect the  interest of  paddy farmers particularly in Kerala?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRSI FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a): The Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed  by Government of  India for procurement of paddy during last  03 years and current year is as below: -
- (b): Expenditure on distribution  of foodgrains for  Central Scheme under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to  ensure food security to  the  targeted beneficiaries under National Food Security Act, 2013  and  Other  Welfare Schemes,  is  being  reimbursed to  States/UTs including Kerala on the  basis of Cost Sheets, which  include MSP of the foodgrains and other incidentals. The funds are released by Department of Food and Public  Distribution (DFPD) to  Food Corporation  of  India  (FCI) and States, who have opted for  Decentralized Procurement (DCP) mode, through the following  two  schemes:
- (i) Food subsidy to Fei; and
- (ii) Food subsidy to DCP States
- (c) to (f): in the last five years admissible amount of Rs 5627.26 Crores of food subsidy has  been released to  State  Government of  Kerala for distribution  of food  grains  for Central  Schemes covered  under NFSA/PMGKAYgI

| KMS      | Minimum Support Price (MSP) (Rs./OtIs)   | Minimum Support Price (MSP) (Rs./OtIs)   |
|----------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|          | Paddy(Common)                            | Paddy(Grade 'A')                         |
| 2020-21  | 1 868                                    | 1 888                                    |
| 2021 -22 | 1 940                                    | 1 960                                    |
| 2022-23  | 2040                                     | 2060                                     |
| 2023-24  | 21 83                                    | 2203                                     |

The release of  food subsidy is  an ongoing and continuous process and Department of  Food &  Public Distribution,  Government of  India has been continuously releasing quarterly admissible amount of food subsidy to the all DCP States including Government of Kerala.

- (g) & (h): State Government of Kerala has informed that no such case has come to their  notices

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