Lok Sabha Question No. 1661 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-13
Subject: Features of PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Supriya Sadanand Sule, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Kuldeep Rai Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1661 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13TH DECEMBERI 2023

## FEATURES OF PDS

1 661 . S}IRIMATI  SUPRIYA  SULE:

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR  S.:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

DR. SUBHASH  RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD  AND  PUBLIC

DiSTRiBUTION aT#raT TH&, @rHSit Hnf+q  f+Tar 'Ht be pleased to state:

- (a) the  main  features of  the  Public Distribution System (PDS);
- (b) whether the  Government has  the  data  regarding State-wise allocation of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) for the
- last three years and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has any plans to increase the allocation of
- foodgrains to States under PDS;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the details  of  the amount sanctioned, allocated and utilized in the
- last three years in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu under this scheme;
- (f) whether the Government has any plans to  promote the  adoption of
- millets under PDS and if so, the details thereof;
- (g) the details of the target  set and achievements made so far under the
- schedule along with  its  response within  the country; and
- (h) whether the Government is planning to  reform the PDS and storage sector within the country and if so, the time by which it  is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):  The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) ensures coverage upto 75Q/, of  the rural population and  upto 500/,  of  the urban population for  receiving foodgrains (rice, wheat  & coarsegrains). 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, Under  the Public Distribution System (PDS), foodgrains were provided at  subsidized prices upto December, 2022. However, w.e.f. lst  January, 2023, foodgrains under the Act are being distributed to eligible beneficiaries free of cost under PMGKAYn

Keeping in view welfare of the beneficiaries of PMGKAY in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of food grains for the poor and to maintain uniformity across the States, the Government has decided to continue to provide free food grains to about 811.35 crore beneficiaries (i.e. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority  Households (PHH) beneficiaries) under the PMGKAY for a period of five years with  effect from lst  January, 2024, with  an estimated financial outlay of  Rs. 11.80 lakh crore totally  to be borne by Central Government.

The provision of free food grains under PMGKAY for five years with effect from Ist  January 2024 reflects the long-term commitment and vision of the Government for addressing National food and nutrition security. Provision of free food grains shall mitigate any financial hardship of the affected strata  of society  in a sustainable manner and ensure long term pricing strategy with zero cost to the beneficiaries which is vital for effective penetration of the Public Distribution Systemn

- (b) to (d):  Details of State-wise allocation  of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System  (PDS) for the last three years are  at  Annexure-l. Monthly allocated  quantity  of foodgrains keep on increasing/decreasing as per addition/deletion of Ration Cards due to various reasons.
- (e) The Government of  India allocates foodgrains to  States/UTs for monthly distribution to  all  NFSA ration card holders. The details of allocation and offtake of foodgrains for Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu during the last three years as well  as the current year, are at Annexure-II.

(f): Govt of India has requested all  the States/UTs to procure millets  and distribute to beneficiaries as per local consumption preference and as per the  guidelines issued by  this  department from  time  to  time.  This department has been requesting States almost every year for taking steps for encouraging procurement/consumption  of coarse grains / millets in the state  through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)/ Other Welfare Schemes (OWS). Govt. of  India has made special efforts  for  popularizing millets. Department of Food and Public Distribution and field offices of Food Corporation Of India (FOI) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) have created awareness about millets  through organizing millets awareness programme/competition/seminars etc.

As  per  the  guidelines for  procurement,  allocation, distribution and disposal of coarse grains, States are allowed to  procure Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Barley, Ragi and six  minor millets from farmers at MSP for central pool subject to the prior approval of Government of India, in consultation with Fei. The whole quantity shall be distributed under TPDS (Targeted Public Distribution System)/OWS (Other welfare Schemes) in the State/UTs.

- (g): Allocation  of foodgrains to States/UTs under the NFSA, 2013 is made on the  basis of State/UT-wise coverage of population determined by the erstwhile  Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) based on the  data of Large Sample Surveys on  Household Consumer Expenditure  published by National Sample Survey Office  (NSSO) in  2011-12, identification of beneficiaries by States/UTs within the eoverage and foodgrains entitlement prescribed under the Act.  The Act further provides that  if on the above basis, annual food9rains allocation to any State/UT is lower than the  average annual  offtake  during 2010-11 to  2012-13 under erstwhile normal Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), the  same shall be protected and the  State  shall  be  allocated foodgrains as  specified in Schedule IV. As per Schedule-IV of the  National  Food Security  Act, 2013, the States/UTs are entitled to 549.,26  LMT  of foodgrains per  annum. Increase/Decrease in allocation based on inclusion/exclusion of beneficiaries under the Act is a continuous process.

(h):  To bring reforms in  the functioning of TPDS, the  Department, in collaboration with  all Sates/UTs, had implemented a scheme on End-to-End Computerization of  TPDS operations from  2012 to  March 2020, which involved digitization of ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA),  online allocation of  foodgrains up  to  all Fair Price Shops  (FPSs), computerization of Supply Chain Management operations and installation of electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices for  bringing transparency in NFSA coverage, achieving rightful targeting of  beneficiaries, plugging leakages and diversion of foodgrains during transportation  and transparent distribution to rightful beneficiaries by eliminating corruption, irregularities and other malpractices.

Under  the  continuous reforms in  the  Public Distribution System (PDS), this  Department had also implemented a technology driven Central Sector Scheme, namely, Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) from April 2018 to March  2023,  to implement nation-wide portability of the ration cards issued by the States/UTs under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), for anywhere distribution of subsidised foodgrains to the ration card holders in India.

Under IM-PDS Scheme, this  Department  had initiated the 'One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Plan' through which  Department has enabled portability of ration cards in all 36 States/UTs, across the country. The ONORC plan  empowers  the NFSA  beneficiaries, particularly migrant beneficiaries, to  lift  their  entitled  foodgrains frorn any ePoS enabled Fair Price Shop (FPS), anywhere in the country, by using their same/existing ration card issued under NFSA after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on an electronic  Point of Sale (ePoS) device.

Food Corporation of India has undertaken various initiatives  to reform storage sector such as under:

- (i) Phasing out of Covered and Plinth  (CAP) Storage
- (ii) Third party assessment of warehouses by FeI from Quality Council of India
- (iii) Mechanization of Warehouse operations
- (iv) Construction of SILO's under PPP Mode
- (v) Warehousing Development  Regulatory Authority  (WDRA) Certification

#####

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  to (d)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1661 FOR ANSWER ON 13.12.2023 IN THE LOK SABHA

## The State-wise  details  of foodgrains  allocated  from  2020-21 (in Thousand Tons)

| SI No.   | Name of States/Uts    | 2020-21   | 2021 -22   | 2022-23   | 2023-24 (upto Nov, 2023)   |
|----------|-----------------------|-----------|------------|-----------|----------------------------|
| I        | Andhra Pradesh        | 1 871 .84 | 1 871 .84  | 1 871 .84 | 1 247n90                   |
| 2        | Arunanchal Pradesh    | 88.99     | 89.00      | 89800     | 59.33                      |
| 3        | Assam                 | 1 694.32  | 1 694.73   | 1 695.13  | 1 1 30.09                  |
| 4        | Bihar                 | 5524.33   | 5527.1 0   | 5527.10   | 3684n73                    |
| 5        | Chhatisgarh           | 1 384.06  | 1 384.06   | 1 384.06  | 922.70                     |
| 6        | Delhi                 | 450.69    | 448n68     | 448.69    | 299n1 4                    |
| 7        | Goa                   | 58.1 7    | 59.04      | 59.04     | 39.36                      |
| 8        | Gujarat               | 21 78.40  | 21 75.74   | 21 85a38  | 1470.90                    |
| 9        | Haryana               | 795.00    | 795.00     | 795.00    | 530.00                     |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh      | 508.02    | 508.02     | 508.02    | 338.68                     |
| 11       | Jharkhand             | 1 739.51  | 1 724.90   | 1 743.73  | 1 1 67.02                  |
| 12       | Karnataka             | 2608.80   | 2608.82    | 2608.84   | 1 739.22                   |
| 13       | Kerala                | 1 395.97  | 1 425.05   | 1425.05   | 950.03                     |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh        | 3443.28   | 31 65.84   | 3259a68   | 2271 .48                   |
| 15       | Maharashtra           | 4605.19   | 4605.19    | 4605.19   | 3070.1 3                   |
| 16       | Manipur               | 1 62.60   | 1 30.99    | 1 36.17   | 90.86                      |
| 17       | Meghalaya             | 1 76.30   | 1 76.30    | 1 76.30   | 1 1 7.53                   |
| 18       | Mizoram               | 65.76     | 65.76      | 65n76     | 43.84                      |
| 19       | Nagaland              | 1 38.06   | 138.06     | 1 38.06   | 92.04                      |
| 20       | Odisha                | 2224.92   | 2244.23    | 2249.71   | 1 499.80                   |
| 21       | Punjab                | 870.12    | 870.12     | 870.1 2   | 580.08                     |
| 22       | Rajasthan             | 2788.07   | 2770.58    | 2770n58   | 1 847n06                   |
| 23       | Sikkim                | 44.32     | 44.32      | 44.32     | 29H55                      |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu            | 3677.75   | 3677.75    | 3677.75   | 2451 .83                   |
| 25       |                       | 1 338.00  | 1 338.00   | 1 338.00  | 892nOO                     |
| 26       | Tripura               | 271 .1 9  | 271 .23    | 271 .22   | 1 80.82                    |
| 27       | Uttrakhand            | 503.00    | 503.00     | 502U99    | 335H33                     |
| 28       | Uttar Pradesh         | 9436H97   | 9782.05    | 9878.53   | 661 9n70                   |
| 29       | West Bengal           | 3970n62   | 3970.62    | 3970.62   | 2647B08                    |
| 30       | A&N Islands           | 29.56     | 29.56      | 29.56     | 19.71                      |
| 31       | Chandigarh            | 0.00      | OBOO       | 0.00      | 0.00                       |
| 32 33    | D&N Haveli Damen& DIU | 15.89     | 1 15.42    | 15n1 6    | 1 0.09                     |
| 34       | Jammu & Kashmir       | 7         |            | 734.65    | 489.77                     |
| 35       | Ladakh                | I         |            | 1 6.43    | I Oa95                     |
| 36       |                       | 4         |            |           |                            |
|          | Lakshadweep           |           |            | 4n62      | 3.08                       |
| 37       | Puducherry            | O         |            | 0.00      | 0.00                       |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION Non 1661 FOR ANSWER ON 13n12.2023 IN THE LOK SABHA

## Details of Allocation  and Offtake of foodgrains for Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu during last three years as well as current year

(in Thousand Tons)

| Maharashtra   | 2021.101   | 1828.51   | 2021.10   | 1444.9    | 2792.9:   | 1830.70   |   1964.88 | 1675.8   |
|---------------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------|
| Maharashtra   | 2584.0     |           | 2584.0    | 2070.6    | 1         |           |    1105   | 955      |
| Tamil Nadu    |            |           | 3309.9:   | 26 1 7.74 |           |           |    2383   | 1867.3 1 |
| Tamil Nadu    | 299.1      | 299.08    | 367.78    | 328.3     | 146.6:    | 13 1.25   |      68.4 | 67.99    |

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