Lok Sabha Question No. 1709 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: NFSA, 2013
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Virendra Singh

## MrNISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1709

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025

NFSA, 2013

## t 1709. SHRI VIRENDRA SINGH:

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

- (a) whether many eligible  families  are still  deprived of rations due to the lack of an updated  list of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFS A),  2013 ;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof including  the process being adopted to update the list;
- (c) whether some States are  facing  technical hurdles in  data sharing or  portability  in implementing the "One Nation, One Ration Card" scheme and if  so, the manner in which the Union Government is addressing  the said issue;
- (d) whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of the current monitoring  system to ensure the quality  of foodgrains distributed under the Public Distribution  System (PDS) and if  so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to procure and distribute local produce  like coarse grains Gowar, bajra) through the Public Distribution  System (PDS) in agricultural districts like Chandauli; and
- (f) if  so, the timeline  fixed  by the Government likely  to be done?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

(a) &  (b): The National  Food Security Act, 2013 (NFS A)  is being successfully implemented in all the States/UTs. The Act  aims to supplement the food requirements of upto 75% of the rural and upto 50% of the urban population, which  at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore persons.

The Coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of  the  society  get  its benefit.  At  present, against the intended  coverage of  81.35 crore, 80.56 crore beneficiaries are receiving foodgrains free of cost.

Under the joint  responsibility of the Union  and State Governments, the responsibility for identification  of  beneficiaries rests with  the  State Government. There is,  no  report  from  any State/UT regarding deprivation of rations to eligible households under the Act.

(c): At present, One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) feature is enabled in all 36 States/UTs, across the  country,  covering  almost  100% NFS A beneficiaries and  is  being  implemented seamlessly withQut any technical hurdle. So far, 197 crore portability transactions have been recorded under ONORC, covering both inter-State  and intra-State  transactions."

(d): The Department 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 programmes  of Government of India.

(e) &  (f): To improve the level of nutrition  among the targeted beneficiaries covered under the NFS A, all the States/UTs have been advised to procure millets  and distribute to NFS A beneficiaries as per local consumption preferences and as per guidelines issued by the Central Government from tIme to tIme kScS(  +c see