Lok Sabha Question No. 2930 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Food Security
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: NINONG ERING, KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR, RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD, NANDI YELLAIAH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2930 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 th  MARCH, 2016

## FOOD SECURITY

2930.

SHRI NINONG ERING: SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR: PROF. RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD: SHRI NANDI YELLAIAH:

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  ranking  accorded  to  the  country  in  the  Global  Hunger  Index Report, 2015 prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  position  in  the Index;
- (b) whether a significant proportion of the population continue to suffer from lack of food according to the said report;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  measures  taken  to  look  in  all  the aspects of the problem;
- (d) whether  hunger/starvation  deaths  have  been  reported  from  various States  and  the  Supreme  Court  has  also  made  a  critical  remark  in  this regard,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  response  of  the  Government thereto; and
- (e) the corrective steps taken to check hunger/starvation in the country?

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

- (a) to (c): As per information available in the public domain, Global Hunger Index report 2015 brought out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in its latest publication released in October, 2015, India's

rank has been calculated as 80.

The report provides the following undernourishment and malnutrition related statistics on India

- -15.2%  of  the  population  are  undernourished  and  suffer  from lack of food.
- -38.8% of children under the age of five are stunted.
- -15.0 % of children under 5 years are wasted and
- -Under five mortality rate is quoted as 5.3%.

The  Government  of  India  has  accorded  high  priority  to  the  issue  of hunger  and  malnutrition  in  the  country  and  is  implementing  several schemes/programmes through State  Governments/UT  Administrations  to improve food security situation in  the country.  These include Targeted Public  Distribution  System(TPDS),  Wheat  Based  Nutrition  Programme (WBNP) for providing Supplementary Nutrition, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme for pre-school children and pregnant and lactating mothers through the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Mid-Day-Meal Scheme (MDM) for primary and upper primary children  through  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development,  Annapurna Scheme  for  the  senior  citizens,  Nutritional  Programme  for  Adolescent Girls, Emergency Feeding Programme, etc.

National Food Security  Act, 2013 (NFSA) provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving  foodgrains  (rice,  wheat  &  coarsegrains)  at  highly  subzided rates.  Thus, 81.35 crore persons which constitute about two-thirds of the population is covered under NFSA.  This coverage has been delinked from poverty estimates.  The eligible families under NFSA comprise of priority households and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families. Priority households  are  entitled  to  receive  5  Kg  of  foodgrains  per  person  per month at highly subsidized price of Rs.3, 2 & 1 per Kg. for rice, wheat & coarsegrains respectively. The existing AAY households, which constitute  the  poorest  of  the  poor,  will  continue  to  receive  35  Kg.  of foodgrains per household per month.  The Act also provides that in case annual allocation of foodgrains to any State under the Act is less than the average annual offtake of foodgrains for the last three years under normal TPDS,  the  same  shall  be  protected.    Implementation  of  the  Act  has started  in  30  States/Union  Territories  (UTs),  covering  about  68  crore persons.  Foodgrains allocation under erstwhile TPDS is being continued in remaining States/UTs.

Government of India has provisionally allocated 289.46 lakh tonnes under NFSA and 207.31 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under erstwhile TPDS during current year. Further, an additional 50.01 lakh tonnes of foodgrains  have  also  been  allocated  during  the  current  year  for  Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above  Poverty  Line (APL) families to the States/UTs  where NFSA has not been implemented.  In addition, during the current year, 11.70 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been allocated to the  States  for  festival,  calamities    and  other    additional  requirements. The Government has also allocated 52.18 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under Other  Welfare  Schemes  such  as  Mid  Day  Meal  Scheme,  Annapurna Scheme, SC/ST/OBC Hostel Scheme, Welfare Institutions Scheme, SABLA Scheme and Wheat Based Nutrition Programme Scheme.

The Act also has a special focus on nutritional support to women and  children.    Pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers  are  entitled  to meals as per nutritional norms as well as to receive maternity benefit of not  less  than  Rs.6,000.    Children  upto  14  years  of  age  are  entitled  to meals  as  per  the  prescribed  nutritional  standards.    Higher  nutritional standards have been fixed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age. In  case  of  non-supply  of  entitled  foodgrains  or  meals,  the  beneficiaries will receive food security allowance.

(d)  &  (e):    No  State  Government/Union  Territory  Administration  has reported any incident of death due to starvation/hunger.  Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 14.05.2011 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 196 of 2001  had  made  observations  about  the  problem  of  malnutrition  and starvation  in  the  country  and  directed  to  reserve  additional  50  lakh tonnes  of  foodgrains  for  distribution  to  the  150  poorest  districts  or  the extremely poor and vulnerable sections of our society. The Hon'ble Court had also stated that its orders were made to ensure that no starvation deaths may take place and people can be saved from malnutrition  as far possible. Pursuant to the directions of the Hon'ble Court and recommendations  of  the  Committee  headed  by  Justice  (Retired)  D.P. Wadhwa, Government of India allocated 23.69 lakh tonnes  and 21.21 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to the States during 2011-12 and 2012-13 respectively  for  distribution  amongst  the  additional  Antyodaya  Anna Yojana (AAY) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. In addition Govt. of India also allocated 50 lakh tonnes of foodgrains each during 2012-13 and 2013-14 respectively and 29.86 lakh tonnes during 2014-15 for additional BPL families in the States/UTs.

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