Lok Sabha Question No. 2727 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Allocation of Foodgrains to Kerala
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri N K Premachandran

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2727 TO BE ANSWERED ON lITH DECEMBER, 2024

## ALLOCATION  OF FOODGRAINS TO KERALA

## 2727. SHRI NK  PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION WiteT wd,  Mg 3l1 Hd.fiR fi,w, t+  b, pI''d t,  ,t,t'

- (a) whether the Union  Government has considered the request from the Government of Kerala for  permitting utilizing  the additional quantity of  foodgrains over and above its monthly  allocation  rate and if  so, the details of action taken thereon;
- (b) whether the Union  Government has examined the crisis faced by the Government of Kerala due to reduction in the quantity of foodgrains from 16 lakh tons to  14.25 lakh tons on account of implementation of Food Security Act  and if  so, the action taken to overcome the crisis;
- (c) whether the Union  Government has examined the request of Government of Kerala for  allotting  tide over share and if  so, the details of action taken thereon;
- (d) whether the  Union  Government proposes to  give  special consideration to  Kerala considering the fact that Kerala  is producing less than 15 per cent of food requirement and depend on the Union  Government for  meeting the domestic requirement;  and
- (e) if  so, the details of  action taken thereon?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): A request from State Government of Kerala was received inter-alia to relax monthly ceiling limit  of tide over distribution. The State Government was inter-alia informed that as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act (NFSA),  2013, any increase in the total Tide Over quota for Kerala is not permissible. It was also informed that as per the extant guidelines issued by the Department of Food &  Public  Distribution,  Government of India, States/UTs are permitted to advance lift  and distribute up to six months' ration allocated under the NFSA.  Therefore, the State Government of Kerala was requested to explore and utilize the provision of  advance lifting  as per its requirements.

e

(b): The allocation of  foodgrains to States/Union Territories (UTs) under the NFSA is made on the basis of identification of beneficiaries reported by the States/UTs within the State/UT-wise  coverage of population determined by the then Planning Commission, and foodgrains entitlement prescribed under the Act  i.e. 35 kg per household per month for households covered under Antyodaya Anna  Yojana and 5 kg  per person per month for Priority  Households. The Act  further provides that if  on the above basis, annual foodgrains allocation to any State/UT is lower than the average annual offtake during 2010-11 to 201213 under erstwhile normal  Targeted Public  Distribution System, the same shall be protected, as 'Tide-over'  allocation.

The foodgrains entitlement of States/U-fs is specified in  Schedule-IV of the Act.  As per Schedule-IV, the State of Kerala is entitled to 1425049 tons (including 42475 1 tons as tide over allocation) of foodgrains per annum.

The coverage of beneficiaries determined for the State of Kerala under the NFSA is 154.80 lakh persons and the State has already identified  the beneficiaries  under the Act  upto maximum permissible limit.  Accordingly,  85459.885 MT  of foodgrains per month are being allocated to the  State Government at NFSA  prices. In  addition to  this  33294.198 MT  of foodgrains per month are being allocated under 'tide  over' to protect the average annual offtake during 2010-11 to 2012-13. Thus, the State of Kerala is receiving 118754.083 MT of  foodgrains per month (1425049 MT  of foodgrains per annum) which  is as per provisions of the Act

(c): The request for enhancement of  allocation  of foodgrains under 'tide  over'  over and above the entitlement had been received from State Government of Kerala. The State was informed that the criteria for allocation of  foodgraihs is uniformly applicab]e for  all the States/UTs, therefore, the request of  a particular  State for  enhancement of  'tide  over' allocation over and above its entitlement, cannot be agreed to.

(d) & (e): No such proposal is under consideration. ###$$