Lok Sabha Question No. 2957 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Objectives of PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2957 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 th  MARCH, 2016 OBJECTIVES OF PDS

## 2957. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and the beneficiaries of Antyodaya Anna Yojana, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Public Distribution System (PDS) has been successful to achieve the objectives envisaged therein, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to strengthen and streamline the PDS and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to develop the scheme as e-PDS and introduce biometric system/smart cards to make it more efficient and if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM  VILAS PASWAN)

(a):    The  Government    has  enacted  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013 (NFSA)  which inter alia entitles upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of  the  urban  population  to  receive  foodgrains  at  subsidised  prices under  Targeted  Public  Distribution  System(TPDS),  thus  covering  about two thirds of the population (about 81.35 crore persons) of the country. The Coverage under Act has been delinked from poverty estimates and the  eligible  households  covered  under  the  Act  comprise  of  Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and priority households.  There is no BPL category under NFSA. State wise coverage under NFSA is at Annex-I

(b):  Targeted Public Distribution (TPDS) is an important part of Government's policy  for  ensuring  food  security  in  the  country.    There  have  been  some challenges  which  are  leakages/diversion  of  foodgrains,  inclusion/exclusion errors,  existence  of  bogus/ineligible  ration  cards,  non-viability  of  fair  price shop operations, etc. that weaken the Public Distribution System.  Further, Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS)  is  operated  under  the  joint responsibility of the Central and the State/UT Governments wherein operational responsibilities for allocation of foodgrains within the States/UTs, identification of eligible beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards to them  and  supervision  and  monitoring  of  functioning  of  Fair  Price  Shops (FPSs) rest with the concerned State/UT Governments.

(c):     Strengthening and streamlining of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is a continuous endeavour. To improve functioning of TPDS, Government  has  been  regularly  issuing  advisories  and  holding  meetings, conferences, etc. wherein State/UT Governments are requested for review of list  of  beneficiaries, improving the offtake of allocated foodgrains, ensuring timely availability of foodgrains at Fair Price Shops (FPSs), greater transparency  in  functioning  of  TPDS,  improved  monitoring  and  vigilance  at various levels, improving the viability of FPS operations, etc.

Further, TPDS (C) Order, 2015 inter-alia requires State Government to take following important steps for reforming TPDS:-

1.   Ensure through Authorised Agency, Physical delivery of foodgrains
2. at FPS.
2.   Obtain Monthly certificate confirming delivery of allocated foodgrain at FPS and its distribution to eligible household.
3.    Application of IT tools for functioning of  PDS.
4.    Ensure  monitoring  of  end-to-end  operations  of  TPDS  through
6. electronic platform.
5.      Notify Internal Grievance Redressal Mechanism.

(d):   With a view to modernize the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Government  has  initiated  a  plan  scheme  on  'End-to-end  Computerisation  of TPDS Operations' during 12 th  Five Year Plan (2012-17) on cost sharing basis with  the  States/UTs.  The  Costs  are  being  shared  on  90:10  basis  with  North Eastern  States  and  on  50:50  basis  with  other  States/UTs.  This  scheme comprises activities, namely, digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and other databases, computerization of supply-chain management,  setting up of transparency portals and grievances redressal mechanism.  As part of beneficiary  data  digitization,  States/UTs  have  been  requested  to  seed  the Aadhaar numbers wherever available so as to weed out the ineligible/bogus/duplicate  beneficiaries.    Further,  guidelines  for  Fair  Price Shop (FPS) automation have been sent to All States/UTs on 11.11.2014.  FPS automation  involves,  installation  of  Point  of  Sale  (PoS)  devises  at  FPS  for biometric authentication of beneficiaries, recording of sales to beneficiaries at the FPS, and uploading of transaction data in central server.

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## ANNEX REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART ( a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2957 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 15.03.2016  IN THE LOK SABHA

## DETAILS REGARDING COVERAGE OF POPULATION UNDER NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT, 2013

| S.No   |                   | Total No. of Persons to be covered (in lakh)   | Total No. of Persons to be covered (in lakh)   | Total No. of Persons to be covered (in lakh)   |
|--------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| S.No   |                   | Rural                                          | Urban                                          | Total                                          |
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh    | 200.20                                         | 68.03                                          | 268.23                                         |
| 2      | Arunachal Pradesh | 7.09                                           | 1.62                                           | 8.71                                           |
| 3      | Assam             | 225.41                                         | 26.49                                          | 251.90                                         |
| 4      | Bihar             | 783.74                                         | 87.42                                          | 871.16                                         |
| 5      | Chhattisgarh      | 165.16                                         | 35.61                                          | 200.77                                         |
| 6      | Delhi             | 1.58                                           | 71.20                                          | 72.78                                          |
| 7      | Goa               | 2.33                                           | 2.99                                           | 5.32                                           |
| 8      | Gujarat           | 258.78                                         | 124.06                                         | 382.85                                         |
| 9      | Haryana           | 90.28                                          | 36.21                                          | 126.49                                         |
| 10     | Himachal Pradesh  | 34.68                                          | 2.13                                           | 36.82                                          |
| 11     | J&K               | 58.05                                          | 16.08                                          | 74.13                                          |
| 12     | Jharkhand         | 216.52                                         | 47.73                                          | 264.25                                         |
| 13     | Karnataka         | 285.55                                         | 116.38                                         | 401.93                                         |
| 14     | Kerala            | 91.87                                          | 62.93                                          | 154.80                                         |
| 15     | Madhya Pradesh    | 420.83                                         | 125.59                                         | 546.42                                         |
| 16     | Maharashtra       | 469.71                                         | 230.45                                         | 700.17                                         |
| 17     | Manipur           | 17.91                                          | 7.15                                           | 25.06                                          |
| 18     | Meghalaya         | 18.43                                          | 3.03                                           | 21.46                                          |
| 19     | Mizoram           | 4.33                                           | 2.73                                           | 7.06                                           |
| 20     | Nagaland          | 11.23                                          | 3.56                                           | 14.79                                          |
| 21     | Orissa            | 287.19                                         | 39.02                                          | 326.21                                         |
| 22     | Punjab            | 94.88                                          | 46.57                                          | 141.45                                         |
| 23     | Rajasthan         | 356.09                                         | 90.53                                          | 446.62                                         |
| 24     | Sikkim            | 3.45                                           | 0.61                                           | 4.07                                           |
| 25     | Tamilnadu         | 232.62                                         | 132.08                                         | 364.69                                         |
| 26     | Telengana         | 143.08                                         | 48.62                                          | 191.70                                         |
| 27     | Tripura           | 20.26                                          | 4.76                                           | 25.02                                          |
| 28     | Uttar Pradesh     | 1234.06                                        | 286.52                                         | 1520.59                                        |
| 29     | Uttarakhand       | 45.85                                          | 16.09                                          | 61.94                                          |
| 30     | West Bengal       | 463.31                                         | 138.53                                         | 601.84                                         |
| 31     | A&N Islands       | 0.61                                           | 0.02                                           | 0.63                                           |
| 32     | Chandigarh        | 0.11                                           | 4.85                                           | 4.96                                           |
| 33     | D&N Haveli        | 1.54                                           | 0.82                                           | 2.36                                           |
| 34     | Daman &Diu        | 0.16                                           | 1.03                                           | 1.19                                           |
| 35     | Lakshdweep        | 0.05                                           | 0.17                                           | 0.22                                           |
| 36     | Puducherry        | 2.35                                           | 3.99                                           | 6.34                                           |
|        | TOTAL             | 6249.30                                        | 1885.61                                        | 8134.92                                        |