Lok Sabha Question No. 1777 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Complaints of Ration provided under NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath Mhatre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1777

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025

## COMPLAINTS OF RATION PROVIDED UNDER NFSA

## t 1777. SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE:

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

- (a) whether the complaints regarding less quantity, poor quality, insect infestation, etc. in the ration provided under the National Food Security Act  (NFS A)  have been received from  several States;
- (b) if  so, the steps taken by the  Government to  ensure transparency and accountability  in  the distribution of food grains;
- (c) the details of  progress made in  checking duplication  of  ration cards and fake beneficiaries occurring even after the implementation of the digital ration distribution  system;
- (d) whether the Government has zero tolerance policy  on corruption  and irregularities  in PDS shops; and
- (e) if  so, the details thereof and if  not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a) to  (b): The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is  governed under National Food Security Act  (NFS A),  2013 and it  is operated under the joint responsibility  of  the Central and the State/Union Territory  (UT)  governments. The  operational responsibilities for  allocation of foodgrains within  the States/ UTs, identification  of eligible  beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards to them, distribution  of  foodgrains to the eligible  beneficiaries under TPDS,  issuance of  license to the Fair Price Shop dealers, supervision over and monitoring of functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc. rest with  the concerned State/UT Governments.

No complaints regarding poor quality, insect infestation etc. in the ration provided under NFS A  has been received from  the States/ UTs. The Government has formulated and issued a Quality Control Manual, to  uniformly maintain the quality standards of  foodgrains from procurement  to its distribution to the eligible beneficiaries through various social security programs of Government of  India. However, as and when grievances related other issues of PDS are received7 they are sent to the State/UT Governments concerned for  inquiry and appropriate action. Further9 the Government has taken strong remedial measures to  tackle the complaints of delivery  of less weight of ration by the dealers. These include the integration of  the e-PoS device with  the weighing scale at the fair  price shops in case of  less than the entitled quantities of foodgrains being weighed in the weighing  scale at the FPS, the transactions for  such occurrences would not be completed.

(c): During  2024-25, the  Government undertook a  comprehensive data analytics exercise wherein multiple  Key  Performance Indicators (KPls)  - such as beneficiaries aged over 100 years, silent ration cards, duplicate ration  cards and beneficiaries  below  18 years with  single member ration cards - were applied to the PDS database. This database was also cross-matched  with data sets of  other Ministries [Aadhaar, Central Board of  Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Road Transport &  Highways (MoRTll), Ministry  of  Corporate Affairs  and Central Board of  Indirect Taxes &Customs (CBIC)]. This exercise flagged approximate 8.51 Crore beneficiaries  (2024 to 2025) and list  of  these flagged beneficiaries were  shared with  the  respective States/UTs for conducting  field  verification and to take necessary action as deemed fit  on these cases. Till  date, the respective States/UTs have deleted 2.12 Crore beneficiaries of the above flagged beneficiaries,  thus making space for eligible waitlisted beneficiaries.

(d) to  (e): if  any person contravenes any of  the provisions of the Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015, he/ she shall be liable to punishment under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act,  1955. Thus, the Order empowers State/UT Governments to take punitive action in case of contravention of relevant provisions of these Orders.

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