Lok Sabha Question No. 3150 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Food Security and Consumer Welfare Mechanism
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Kanwar Singh Tanwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3150 TO BE ANSWERED ON lITH  MARCH, 2026

## FOOD SECURITY AND CONSUMER WELFARE  MECHANISM

## t3150. SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR:

Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER AFFAIRS,  FOOD AND  PUBLIC  DISTRIBUTI'ON be pleased to state:

- (a): whether  the  Government  has  reviewed  the  effectiveness of the  food  security  and consumer welfare mechanism in  Amroha  district  of  Uttar  Pradesh, including  the  availability, quality and affordability of  essential commodities, market price stability and protection of consumer Interests ;
- (b):  if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government to ensure availability of essential commodities, price  control  measures, consumer awareness programmes, transparency and fairness across the local market and in the inspections carried out in the said district during the last three years; and
- (c): if  not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIM ATI  NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

(a) to (c):  The Central Government is successfully implementing the National Food Security Act, 2013, which provide for food and nutritional  security in human life  cycle approach, by  ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life  with dignity.

The  Act provides for constitution of  Vigilance Committees by  State/UTs at  the  State, District,  Block and fair  price shop levels for ensuring transparency and proper functioning of the Targeted Public  Distribution System and accountability  of the functionaries  in such system.

The Central Government has formulated and issued a Quality  Control Manual  to uniforrnly maintain the quality  standards of  foodgrains from  procurement  to  its distribution to the eligible beneficiaries through various social security programs.

The  Essential Commodities Act,  1955 and the  Prevention of  Black  marketing and Maintenance of  Supplies of  Essential Commodities Act  (PBMMSEC  Act),  1980 provide  the legislative  and administrative foundations to the Government to regulate prices, production, supply, distribution etc. of  essential commodities for  maintaining  or  increasing their  supplies and for securing their  equitable distribution  and availability  at fair  prices, and to  prevent hoarding/blackmarketing of foodstuffs.

In order to  prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, time to time  stock limits  are imposed on essential food items under the EC Act. Directives are issued to the States and UTs to enforce compliance to the stock limits  by  stockholding entities and follow-up  meetings are held with the States/UTs to review the status of implementation.

To monitor the stock of pulses with  stockholding entities, namely, traders, millers, stockists, millers,  importers and big  chain retailers, a stock declaration portal was created for  the entities to register and disclose stock of  pulses held by them on a weekly basis. The status of registration and stock disclosure are monitored and reviewed with  the  stockholding entities. Further, the  State Governments have  been asked to  hold  regular  meetings with  various  stakeholders at  State and District  levels and to  keep strict  vigil on prices, hoarding, speculative trading  and profiteering, unfair and illegal  trade practices like  cartelling etc.

In  order to  check cartelization,  hoarding, and black-marketing  of  essential commodities, a Committee was constituted in 2016 under the Chairmanship of  Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs  with  the representatives of  Intelligence Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Income Tax and Delhi Police. So far 22 meetings of this group have been held

SeR SeESeSc