Lok Sabha Question No. 2918 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-20
Subject: False Beneficiaries in NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Beesetti  Venkata Satyavathi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRSI FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC  DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2918

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20TH DECEMBER, 2023

## FALSE BENEFICIARIES  IN NFSA

## 2918n  DR. BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD  AND PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION w$n qT;I+, wv  dk WT8rfqq f+var ;Ht be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there have been instances of  false beneficiaries availing
- benefits under the National Food Security (NFS) scheme;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any action against such false beneficiaries;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the  Government has taken any steps to  prevent such instances of false beneficiaries availing benefits under the scheme; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to  (f) : The Targeted  Public  Distribution System  (TPDS) under  NFSA, 2013 is operated under the joint  responsibility of the Central and the State/ Union Territory  (UT)  Governments. Central  Government is responsible for procurement, allocation  and  transportation of foodgrains upto  the designated depots of the  Food Corporation of  India (FCI). The operational responsibilities for allocation of foodgrains within the States/ UTs, identification of eligible beneficiaries families, issuance of  ration cards to them, distribution of  foodgrains to  eligible  beneficiaries under TPDS and supervision over and  monitoring of  functioning of  Fair Price Shops (FPSs),

etc. rest with the concerned State/ UT  Governments. As per  the  TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the review of  ration cards/beneficiaries list, identification of  ineligible/ duplicate ration cards and inclusion of eligible beneficiaries/ households is the responsibility of concerned State/UT Government. States/UTs have been advised to undertake proper verification (including  field verification) of  each  identified case  to  ensure  that ration cards of genuine beneficiaries are not deleted/ suspended. Further, States/UTs regularly  issue  new  ration cards  to the eligible households/beneficiaries  in  place of cancelled ration cards under ceiling limit of the National Food Security Act (NFSA). As a result of use of technology in  PDS operations, the  State/UT Governments were  able to delete/cancel a total  Of 2.Og Crore duplicate  ration cards during 2018-2022.

Under PDS reforms this  Department had implemented a scheme on 'End-to-End Computerization of  Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Operations" to  improve the  efficiency &  transparency of  the distribution of foodgrains  system and to address other challenges such as leakages and diversion of  foodgrains, etc. Under this  scheme, ration cards/beneficiaries database have been completely digitized in  all States/UTs.

Further, the Automation  of Fair Price Shops (FPS) is also being done in all  States/UTs by installing electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at the FPSs for  the  distribution of  foodgrains in  a  transparent manner (electronically) and for  unique identification of  genuine beneficiaries through biometric/ Aadhaar authentication on the ePoS device.  So far, nearly 5.41 Lakh out  of  toal  5.43 Lakh FPSs in  the country have been automated  by installing  ePoS devices.

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