Lok Sabha Question No. 1042 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Increasing Ration Shops
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Raghu Ramakrishna Raju Kanumuru

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA INISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1042 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26TH JULYI 2023

## INCREASING RATION SHOPS

## 1042.  SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAI IA KRISHNA  RAJU:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD  AND PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION aq vtInT qwi8, @rash IIT++f+q f+am HI  be pleased  to  state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning to increase the number of ration shops in the country for easy food distribution under National Food
- Security Act;
- if  so, the issues that are being faced in the implementation of the
- (b) scheme and the solutions to these difficulties;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to address the demands of the
- ration dealers; and
- (d) the  manner in  which the  Government is  planning to  provide all foodgrains at the same price everywhere in the country?

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

- (a) to (c):  The  Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act,  2013 (NFSA) is  operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State/UT Governments. The operational responsibility including issuance of  licenses to  Fair Price Shops (FPSs), supervision and monitoring of the functioning of Fair Price Shops etc., rest with the concerned State/UT Government.

As per Clause 9(9) of  the  TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the  State Government  may  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. The Government of India has taken suo moto action towards transformation of FPSs in order to increase financial viability of  FPSs. To improve the financial viability of the FPSs, the States/UTs have been empowered to  collaborate with  various service providers to provide Common Service Centre (CSC) services, banking/business correspondent services through India Post  payments Bank (IPPB)/Department of Posts (DoP), and the sale of non-PDS, commodities, among others as per local demand and requirements.

Further, Government of  India has enhanced the  norms of  margin payable to FPS dealers with  effect from April, 2022 as per the details given below:

| Category of States   | Basic margin   |   Additional margin for sale through point-of. sale device | Central share (Percentage)   |
|----------------------|----------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
| General              |                |                                                         21 |                              |
| Special'             |                |                                                         26 |                              |

*Note: Special category States include 8 States of  North East including Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu  &  Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar  Islands and Lakshadweep.

(d): The Central Government, in order to remove the financial  burden of the poor beneficiaries and to  ensure nationwide uniformity and effective implementation of  the  Act,  is  providing food  grains free of  cost  to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Anna  Yojana  (PMGKAY), for  a period of one year beginning from  1;t January 2023.. Thus, foodgrains are free across the country, which is uniform for all.

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