Lok Sabha Question No. 3906 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Free Foodgrains
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Ramvir Singh Bidhuri

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.3906 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18TH DECEMBER, 2024

## FREE FOODGRAINS

## f3906. SHRI RAMVIR SINGH BIDHURI :

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION wftq7 mia, urs sh: tITdHfi% fiawr +it be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of people being provided free foodgrains by the Union  Government in the country;
- (b) the total number of people in Delhi  being provided free foodgrains;
- (C) whether any bogus ration cards detection drive is being run in the country; and
- (d) if  so, the details of the bogus ration  cards detected under the said drive,  State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): The National Food Security Act,  2013 (NFSA)  is being implemented successfully by all the State/ Union  Territories (UTs)  covering about 80.67 crore beneficiaries against the intended coverage of  8 1.35 crore.
- (b) The Act provides for coverage of 72.78 lakh persons for National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Government of NCT  of  Delhi has identified beneficiaries upto maximum permissible limit under the Act.

(c) & (d): The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under NFSA is operated under the joint  responsibility of the  Central  and the  State Governments. The responsibility of identification of  eligible  beneficiaries  lrnder  the Act  rests with  the  State Government  as per the provisions of  the Act.  The Central Government has issued an advisory to  all  the States/Union Territories to  identify all  eligible and poor persons/ households including vulnerable Sections of  the Society for  inclusion under the NFSA.  States are undertaking cleaning up  of  their  beneficiary  database so that  bogus ration  cards get  deleted and better targeting of  rightful  beneficiaries  is ensured. Thus, deletion of  ineligible  beneficiaries  and addition of eligible  beneficiaries under the Act is a continuous process.

As  an outcome of  the  use of  technology in  TPDS operations since 2013, i.e., digitization of  ration cards/beneficiary  databases, Aadhaar seeding, de-duplication process, identification of  ineligible beneficiaries', death£, permanent migration of beneficiaries, etc. all States/UTs have been able to weed-out  approx. 5.87 crore ration  cards between 2013 to 2024 (till 13.12.2024) in  order to achieve rightful  targeting.  A  statement showing deleted Ration Cards is at Annexure-1.

# 8888

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO IN PART (c) & (d)  OF  THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3906 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024 REGARDING 'FREE FOODGRAINS'.

A  statement showing deleted Ration Cards from  2013 to 2024 (Till 13.12.2024)

| SI.   | State/UT           | Total        |
|-------|--------------------|--------------|
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh     | 43,68,125    |
| 2     | Andaman& Nicobar   | 2, 142       |
| '1 J  | Arunachal Pradesh  | 21 ,040      |
| 4     | Assam              | 4,08,011     |
| 5     | Bihar              | 13,81,584    |
| 6     | Chandjgarh         | 3,063        |
| 7     | Chhattisgarh       | 15,16,532    |
| 8     | DNHand Daman & Diu | 15,027       |
| 9     | Delhi              | 3,27,297     |
| 10    | Goa                | 1,74,496     |
| 11    | Gujarat            | 8,15,734     |
| 12    | Haryana            | 15,21,067    |
| 13    | Himachal Pradesh   | 79,569       |
| 14    | Jammuand Kashmir   | 1 ,27,872    |
| 15    | Jharkhand          | 11 ,26,620   |
| 16    | Karnataka          | 3 1,32,421   |
| 17    | Kerala             | 2,46,791     |
| 18    | LaliRl             | 702          |
| 19    | Lakshadweep        | 1,568        |
| 20    | Wa lya Pradesh     | 25,17,627    |
| 21    | Maharashtra        | 46, 12,756   |
| 22    | ManiDur            | 95,245       |
| 23    | 1                  | 15,123       |
| 24    | Z                  | 12,578       |
| 25    | Nagaland           | 5 1,952      |
| 26    | mc                 | 7,81,573     |
| 27    | Puducherr'         | 1.09,306     |
| 28    | Puniab             | 7,59,558     |
| 29    | RaiaM              | 25,5M        |
| 30    | Mkim               | 29,278       |
| 31    | Tamil Nadu         | 7,89,063     |
| 32    | Telangana          | 22,33,749    |
| 33    | Tripura-           | 2,00,665     |
| 34    | Uttar Pradesh      | 1 ,93,54,572 |
| 35    | Uttarakhand        | 7,72,367     |
| 36    | West Bengal        | 5            |
|       | Total              | 5,87,22,894  |

+88+