Lok Sabha Question No. 4396 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Problems in PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4396

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20TH AUGUST, 2025

## PROBLEMS IN PDS

## 4396  SHRI BABU SINGH KUSHWAHA:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance that in many districts including Jaunpur district  of  Uttar  Pradesh, the distributers  associated with  the Public  Distribution System (PDS) are facing serious problems such as frequent breakdown of  e-POS machines and difficulty in distribution of  rations due to non-availability of network and immediate suspension in case of non-distribution of rations through machines, administrative pressure in  distribution of ration in case of  failure  of  Aadhaar authentication, delay  in  payment after  distribution  of  ration  is deteriorating the condition ofdistributers;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof  and the reaction of  the Government thereon;
- (c) whether the  Government is  formulating  any  concrete action  plan  to  ensure monthly income of distributors,  simplify distribution  process and improve  technology;
- (d) if  so, the details thereof and if  not, whether the Government is likely  to consider it in the near future; and
- (e) if  so, the time by when it will  be done?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIM ATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

(a) &  (b): The Public  Distribution  System  is operated under the joint  responsibility  of  the Central and the State/UT Governments. Central Government is responsible for procurement,  allocation and transportation of  foodgrains upto the  designated depots of  the Food Corporation of  India (FCI). As far as the operational responsibility  is  concerned, which includes allocation within State/UT, identification of  eligible  families,  issue of  Ration  Cards, Aadhaar Seeding in  Ration Cards, distribution of foodgrains to  eligible  beneficiaries  and supervision of  the functioning of Fair Price Shops etc., rests with the concerned State/UT Governments.

This  Department has not  received such reports from  Uttar  Pradesh. However, this Department has advised all  States/ UTs  that no  genuine beneficiary/  household shall  be denied from  receiving  entitled  quota  of  subsidized  foodgrains  due to  failure  of  biometric/Aadhaar authentication due to network/ connectivity/  linking  related issues, other technical reasons or poor biometrics of the beneficiary.

(c) to  (e): The Central Government only provides the assistance to States/UTs for  meeting the expenditure towards intra-State movement &  handling  of  foodgrains and fair  price  shop dealers' margin under the NFS A  in accordance  with  the provisions of Food Security (Assistance to  State Governments) Rules, 2015 (as amended  from  time to time) which  inter-alia provides for norms of expenditure and pattern of central sharing. In  order to  ensure viability  of  Fair Price Shops, the norms of FPS Dealers margin was enhanced as per the details given below:

| Category of States          | IComponent of FPS margin   | IPre-revised norms (Rate n rupee per quintal) (up1 3 1 st March, 2022)   | IRevised norms (Rate In rupee per quintal) w.e.f. 1.4.2022)   |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| -eneral Category States/UTs | -ransportation& handling   | B6                                                                       | IN                                                            |
| -eneral Category States/UTs | e                          | [77                                                                      | B9                                                            |
| -eneral Category States/UTs | [cmi=17;ii=                | 17                                                                       | n2                                                            |
| pecial category States/UTs  | -ransportation& handling   | 100                                                                      | 10                                                            |
| pecial category States/UTs  | Fpn                        | 143                                                                      |                                                               |
| pecial category States/UTs  | Additional margin          | 17                                                                       | B2                                                            |

Special category states includes Sikkim,  Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &  Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar  Islands, Lakshadweep  and seven north east states.

However, the State Governments are free to  fix  the actual rates, which  can be higher than the norms specified in the rules. Central assistance will  be limited to the rates specified in the Rules or the actual average  rates for  the State as a whole,  at which  the expenditure was actually incurred by the State Government, whichever is lower.

As per sub-clause (9) of Clause 9 of the  TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the State Government shall allow  sale of  commodities other than the foodgrains distributed under the TPDS at the fair price shops to improve the viability  of the fair price shop operations.

At  present, all  Fair  Price Shops (FPSs) in the  State of  Uttar  Pradesh have been automated by installing ePoS  devices for seamless  distribution of foodgrains in a transparent manner (electronically) through biometric/  Aadhaar authentication of  beneficiaries. The  process of distributing  foodgrains through ePoS devices is very simple and does not require any special digital literacy among beneficiaries to lift  their  entitled foodgrains through electronic transactions. Further, States/UTs are advised to  ensure that  ePoS printed  transaction receipts are provided  to  all beneficiaries in local language, besides SMS be sent on their registered mobile numbers to  ensure complete transparency in distribution process.

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