Lok Sabha Question No. 1602 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Kerala Foodgrains Allocation Crisis
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri K Radhakrishnan, Dr. Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1602 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST JULY, 2024

## KERALA FOODGRAINS ALLOCATION CRISIS

1602 DR. SHASHI THAROOR: SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN

Will  the Minister  of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND  PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION w+m gTiid, arT air RT##finf%6wr  +# be pleased to state

- (a) whether it  is true that the allocation  of foodgrains  made to the State of Kerala has reduced from average 16 Laksh Tons per year to  14.25 Lakhs Tons per year after the implementation  of  the National Food Security Act  and if  so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the  Government has received any  representation from  the  State of  Kerala  for increasing the foodgrain allocation under tide over scheme for  distribution for  NPS and NPNS households in the State and if  so, the action taken thereon;
- (c) whether the Government intends to reinstate the allocation of wheat under tide over scheme to the State of Kerala which was stopped w.e.f. June 2022 and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of the number of NPS and NPNS ration card holders and allocation of food tide over schemes for  Financial Year 2023-2024, State and UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRINIATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBIIAI  BAMBIIANIYA)

(a): The National Food Security Act,  2013 provides that if  annual foodgrains allocation to  any State/UT is lower  than the average annual ofRake during 2010-11 to 2012-13 under erstwhile normal Targeted Public Distribution  System, the same shall be protected. The foodgrains entitlement of States£UTs is specified in Schedule-IV  of the Act. As per Schedule-IV, the State of Kerala is entitled to 1425049 tons (including 424751 tons as tide over allocation) offoodgrains per annum

The coverage of  beneficiaries  determined for the State of  Kerala under the NFS A  is 154.80 lakh  persons and the  State has already identified the beneficiaries under the  Act  upto  maximum permissible limit.  Accordingly,  85459.885 MT  of foodgrains per month are being allocated to the State Government at NFS A  Prices. In  addition to this 33294.198 MF  of  foodgrains per month are being allocated under 'tide  over' to protect the average annual offtake during 2010-11 to 2012-13. Thus, the State of Kerala is receiving 118754.083 MT of foodgrains per month (1425049 MT of foodgrains per annum) which is as per maximum permissible limit  under the Act.

(b): Request for enhancement of  allocation of  foodgrains under 'tide  over'  over and above the entitlement  had been received  from  State Government of  Kerala. The State was informed that the criteria for  allocation of  foodgrains is  uniformly  applicable for  all  the  States/UTs, therefore, the request of  a particular  State for  enhancement of  'tide  over'  allocation  over  and above its  entitlement cannot be agreed to

(c): in  order to ensure management of  foodgrain stocks as per norms, to position rice stock for distribution of fortified  Rice and to ease the pressure on the logistics, the Government had revised the allocation of  food grains in  regard to  12 States/UTs including Kerala under NFS A/Tide Over category. Tide over allocation was revised for  3 State i.e. Uttarakhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu by replacing wheat with  equivalent quantity of  rice.  The  allocation is  reviewed periodically in consultation  with Food Corporation of  India, with last review in July, 2024. It  was decided to continue the revised allocation under NFS A/Tide  Over category for  all  12  States/UTs including Kerala

(d): The  data of  non-NFS A  beneficiaries  to  which  'tide  over'  foodgrains is  distributed is  not maintained by the Central Government.

A  statement indicating  the State/UT-wise details of allocation of foodgrains under 'tide  over for the financial year 2023-24 is at Annexure.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  PARTS  (d)  OF  THE LOK SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1602 DUE  FOR ANSWER ON  31.07.2024 REGARDING 'KERALA FOODGRAINS ALLOCATION  CRISIS'.

State/UT-wise allocation offoodgralns under Tide Over for the financial year 2023-24 (in  thousand tons)

|   S.No. | 1 States/ UTs     | Rice     | Wheat   | Total    |
|---------|-------------------|----------|---------|----------|
|       1 | AndhraPradesh     | 0.000    | 22.068  | 22. 068  |
|       2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 31,661   | 0.000   | 31.661   |
|       3 | Assam             | 0.000    | 66. 195 | 66. 195  |
|       4 | Bihar             | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0.000    |
|       5 | Chhattisgarh      | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0.000    |
|       6 | Delhi             | 0,OOO    | 0,000   | O,OOO    |
|       7 | Goa               | 15.242   | 9.405   | 24.647   |
|       8 | Gujarat           | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0.000    |
|       9 | Haryana           | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0.000    |
|      10 | HimachalPradesh   | 101.914  | 203.816 | 305.730  |
|      11 | Jharkhand         | 0.000    | 0,000   | 0, OOO   |
|      12 | Karnataka         | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0, OOO   |
|      13 | Kerala            | 399.530  | 0.000   | 399.530  |
|      14 | Madhya Pradesh    | 0.000    | 0,000   | 0.000    |
|      15 | Maharashtra       | 0. 000   | 0.000   | 0, OOO   |
|      16 | Manipur           | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0.000    |
|      17 | Meghalaya         | 13.619   | 21.947  | 35.565   |
|      18 | Mizoram           | 18.222   | 0.000   | 18.222   |
|      19 | Nagaland          | 46,473   | 0.000   | 46,473   |
|      20 | Odisha            | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0.000    |
|      21 | Punjab            | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0, 000   |
|      22 | Rajasthan         | 0.000    | 0.000   | 0, OOO   |
|      23 | Sikkim            | 14.397   | 3.554   | 17.951   |
|      24 | Tamil Nadu        | 1108.220 | 0.000   | 1108.220 |

| 25   | Telengana                           |    0,OOO | 41.949   | 41 , 949   |
|------|-------------------------------------|----------|----------|------------|
| 26   | Tripura                             |   69.518 | 38.095   | 107.613    |
| 27   | Uttrakhand                          |  101.532 | 0,000    | 101.532    |
| 28   | Uttar Pradesh                       |    0     | 0.000    | o, OOO     |
| 29   | West Bengal                         |    0     | 0.000    | 0.000      |
| 30   | A & N Island                        |   15.941 | 9.244    | 25. 184    |
| 31   | Chandigarh(DBT)                     |    0     | 0.000    | 0.000      |
| 32   | Dadra& Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu |    0     | 0,000    | 0, OOO     |
| 33   | Jammu & Kashmir                     |  183.046 | 82.812   | 265.857    |
| 34   | Ladakh                              |    2.793 | 4.190    | 6,983      |
| 35   | Lakshadweep                         |    3.098 | 0.000    | 3,098      |
| 36   | Puducherry(DBT)                     |    0     | 0.000    | 0.000      |
|      | vh Total                            | 2125.2   | 503.274  | 2628.480   |

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