Lok Sabha Question No. 419 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: National Food Security Act
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.419 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24th JULY, 2024

## NATIONAL  FOOD SECURITY ACT

## 419 SHRI MAGUNTA  SREENIVASULU REDDY

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION wim mIa, am a&T IIT#qfjq fB6WT git be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it  is true  that  under the National  Food Security Act  (NFS A)  through the Public Distribution Scheme, 67% of the total population,  using the rural-urban  population ratio in 2011, is meant to be covered;
- (b) whether the Government  is aware that due to  the usage of  outdated population  data from  2011, millions  of intended beneficiaries  are being left  out of the scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has any plans to plug the data gaps of the PDS so that all intended beneficiaries can be reached;
- (d) if  so, the details thereof and if  not, before the new Census data is available, the manner in which the Government plans to redress the significant number of people being excluded from PDS; and
- (e) the details of the measures taken by the Government  to ensure Food Security in the Country in wake of the pandemic?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a) &  (b): The NFS A  provides for  coverage upto 75% of rural population and upto 50% of urban population for  receiving highly  subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public  Distribution  System (TPDS),  thus covering  about two-thirds of the total population  which at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore.  Coverage under the Act  is substantially  high to ensure that all the vulnerable  and needy sections of the society get its benefit. Further, against the intended coverage of  81.35 crore, the States/ms have identified  only 80.54 crore person.  Still, there is a scope of  identification of  0.81 crore more beneficiaries  under the NFS A

States/ Union Territories have also been advised to clean up their beneficiary database from time to time to ensure rightful targeting  of beneficiaries and inclusion of deserving persons within the ceiling determined under the NFS A for  availing benefits under the Act,

(c) & (d): Section 9 of the Act provides that the total number of persons to be covered in rural and urban areas of the State shall be calculated on the basis of the population estimates as per the Census of  which the  relevant figures have been published. Therefore, any revision in  coverage shall be possible only  after the relevant data of next population  Census is published

(e): Government undertook  timely  and concrete measures to  ensure that there are no long term effects  of the Covid-19 crisis on food  security and nutrition  in the country. To fulfill this objective, Pradhan Mantri (}arib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was launched to ensure that the targeted beneficiaries  do not face any issue of food security on account of the pandemic.

During Covid period, PMGKAY  provided for  additional allocation of  foodgrains @ 5 kg per person per month free of  cost for  all  the beneficiaries covered under Targeted Public Distribution System (Antyodaya  Anna  Yojana  &  Priority  Households). This  was over  and above the monthly benefit provided under the National Food Security Act, 2013 to about 80 crore persons

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