Lok Sabha Question No. 3179 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-19
Subject: Beneficiaries under NFS Scheme
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Bhajan Lal Jatav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3 179

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19TH MARCH, 2025

## BENEFICIARIES UNDER NFS SCHEME

## f 3179. SHRI BHAJAN LAL JATAV:

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

- (a) whether the process of adding new names had to be postponed since 18.05.2020 due to the exceeding limit  on the number of beneficiaries in the National Food Security (NFS) Scheme;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof and the steps being taken to resolve the issue;
- (c) whether the Government has received a proposal from  any of the States to increase the beneficiaries  ceiling  by  15 per cent from  its limit  of  4.46 crore
- (d) whether the Government is considering this proposal;
- (e) if  so, the present status thereof;
- (f) whether the Government is  formulating  any special schemes to ensure that no eligible family is left out of the NFS Scheme; and
- (g) the  number of  such pending applications under NFS A  in  Karauli,  Dholpur  and Bharapur?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a) &  (b): The National Food Security Act  is operated under the joint  responsibility  of  the Central and the State Governments. The responsibility  of identification  of eligible beneficiaries under the Act  rests with  the State Government.

## ORIGINAL IN HINDI

As reported by the State Government of Rajasthan, the number of beneficiaries eligible to be covered under the National Food Security Act,  2013 (NFS A)  being more than the ceiling determined for the State, the process of addition of new beneficiaries was put on hold since 18.05.2020. Thereafter, the portal was opened from 01.04.2022 to 30.04.2022 and 13.05.2022 to 28.05.2022. The portal  has been opened again from  26.01.2025.

- (c): The request for enhancement of coverage of beneficiaries by  15% from its limit  of 4.46 crore had been received from the State Govt. of Rajasthan.
- (d) & (e): Section 9 of the National Food Security Act,  2013 (NFSA) provides that the percentage coverage under the Targeted Public  Distribution  System in  rural and urban areas for each State shall be determined by the Central Government and the total number of persons to be covered in the State shall be calculated on the basis of the population estimates as per the census of which the relevant figures have been published. Any revision in the coverage under the NFS A  shall be possible only  after  the relevant  data of next population  Census is published. Therefore, the request of the State Government was not acceded to.
- (f): Sub-Section (2) of  Section 10 of the Act  provides that the State Government shall update the list of eligible households, within the number of persons determined under section 9 for  the rural  and urban areas, in  accordance with  the guidelines framed under sub-section  (1). 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 undertake  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 contrnuous process.
- (g): The number of  pending applications under NFSA  in  the  Karauli,  Dhaulpur and Bharatpur is as follows:

####

| District name   | Total pending 07.03.2025 Applications as on   |
|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Karaul          | 24.498                                        |
| DhauIDur        | 55,568                                        |
| t               | 30,819                                        |