Lok Sabha Question No. 2077 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Uninterrupted Distribution of Rations to Public during Strike Period
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2077

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12TH MARCH,  2025

## UNINTERRUPTED DISTRIBUTION OF RATIONS TO PUBLIC DURING STRIKE PERIOD

## 2077. SHRI FLAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is taking any steps to ensure the uninterrupted  distribution of rations to the public keeping in view the ongoing strike by ration suppliers and the discontinuation  of E-PoS services and if  so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government will  expedite the clearance of  arrears owed to ration suppliers, which amount to over 100 crore rupees, to  resolve the current strike  and avoid  further disruptions and if  so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the measures taken by Government to address the ongoing technical issues with the  E-PoS system that have been hindering  smooth ration  distribution  particularly  due to  server limitations; and
- (d) whether the Government is  considering revising  the wage package or providing  additional support to ration suppliers/traders to  address their  demands and avoid further strikes and if  so, the details thereoF

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): At present, nearly 5.41 Lakh (99.6%) out of total 5.43 Lakh Fair Price Shops (FPSs) in the country have been automated by  installing  ePoS devices for  the  distribution  of  foodgrains in  a transparent manner (electronically)  through biometric/  Aadhaar authentication of beneficiaries. There is no ongoing strike by ration suppliers reported to this Department.
- (b): 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 sub-clause (7)  of  clause 9  of  the TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the  State Government shall fix  an amount as the fair  price shop owner's margin, which shall be periodically reviewed to ensure sustained viability of the fair price shop operations.

The Central Government has a limited  role in  determining the actual rate of fair  price shop dealers' margin/  commission/ honorarium,  etc. 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 NFSA, in accordance with the provisions of  Food Security (Assistance to  State Governments) Rules, 2015, which inter-alia  provides for  norms of  expenditure and pattern of  central sharing. In  order to  ensure the viability  of Fair Price Shops, the norms of FPS Dealers' margin were enhanced w.e.f. April 2022, as per the details given below:

;i;::iITiT,:':::

| Category of States/UTs   | Components ol IFPS dealers' jmargin   |   Pre-revised norms (Rate in rupees per quintal) |     |    |
|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----|----|
| IGeneral Category        | a                                     |                                               70 |  90 | 50 |
| IGeneral Category        | ,dditional margin                     |                                               17 |  21 | 50 |
| Special category         | a                                     |                                              143 | 180 | 75 |
| Special category         | d                                     |                                               17 |  26 | 75 |

However, 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.

(c): All States/UTs have been advised that no  genuine beneficiary/household  shall  be deleted from  the  list  of  eligible  ration  cards/ beneficiaries  and  shall  not  be  denied their entitled quota of foodgrains under Pradhan Mantri  Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) only for  want of Aadhaar number or only  on the ground of  not possessing an Aadhaar number, failure of biometric authentication due to network/ connectivity/ linking issues or any other technical reasons etc.

.......3/-

(d):  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.

To improve the financial viability  of FPSs, Government of India has requested all State/UT Governments to take up initiatives  through FPSs such as providing  Common  Service Centre (CSC)  services, Banking  services through  tie-up  with banks/  corporate Banking Correspondents,  Banking and citizen-centric  services of  India Post Payment Bank (IPPB), Retail selling of small (5kg) LPG cylinders, Sale of other commodities/ general store items etc.

Further, a Jan Poshan Kendra pilot  study is being conducted to improve viability  of 60 FPSs across 4 cities,  i.e. Hyderabad, Ghaziabad, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. The Government of India has undertaken this pilot study to enhance the financial viability of FPS dealers while focusing on improving  nutritional  outcomes of the beneficiaries.'

88888