Lok Sabha Question No. 1691 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Distribution of Foodgrains to Poor
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1691

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025

## DISTRIBUTION OF FOODGRAINS TO POOR

## 1691. SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

Will  the Minister of (,-ONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to  state:

- (a) whether the foodgrains allocated for the poor is being distributed on time in all the States;
- (b) whether adequate number of godowns have been constructed  by the Government for  storage of the said foodgrains allocated for the poor in the country including  Bihar; and
- (c) if  so, the details thereof, State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

(a): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under National Food Security Act  (NFS A), 2013 is operated under the joint  responsibility  of the Central and the State/Union Territory (UT) Governments. Central Government is responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the Food Corporation of  India (FCI). 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 eligible  beneficiaries under TPDS, issuance of  license to  Fair  Price  Shop dealers, supervision over and monitoring  of functioning  of FPSs etc. rest with the concerned State/UT Governments.

(b) &  (c):  Department of Food &  Public Distribution (DFPD) through Food Corporation of India (F(\_'1) mainly  stores wheat &  rice after procurement for  Public Distribution  System (PDS) operation and to maintain buffer stock.

Bihar is a Decentralized Procurement (DCP) State. The state Government procure, store and distribute foodgrains as  per  their National Food  Security Act (NFS A)/Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) requirements. Shortfall arisen due to  less procurement  than the  requirements, if  any, is bridged by inducting  stock or excess procurement  wherein excess stock is moved to deficit areas.

As on 01.11.2025,  13.43 LMT  Covered storage capacities is available with  FCI  (Owned 3.45 LMT  &  Hired-9.99 LMT)  and 10.13 LMT  Covered storage  capacity is with the State agencies in Bihar for storing of Central Pool foodgrain stocks.

The requirement of Storage capacity depends upon the level of procurement, requirement of buffer norms and PDS operations for  Rice and Wheat mainly. DFPD continuously assesses and monitors  the  storage capacity  and  based on  the  storage gap  assessment, storage capacities are created/hired through following schemes: -

- 1 Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme
- 2 Central  Sector Scheme (CSS) 2017-25
- 3 Construction of  Silos under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode
4. Hiring  of godown from Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC)/State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs)/State Agencies
5. Hiring  of godown through Private Warehousing Scheme (PWS).
- 6 Creation of  godowns under Asset Monetization
- 7 Covered & Plinth (CAP) Hiring  Scheme -2025
8. Modified PEG scheme for NE & Hilly  states with longer guarantee period of 15 years

At  present, DFPD  is augmenting its  storage capacity through  following  schemes in Bihar state

1.  Construction of  SILOs under PPP mode
2.  Private Entrepreneurs  Guarantee (PEG) Scheme
3.  Asset Monetization Scheme

As per the NFS A  Act  2013, the responsibility for  implementation and monitoring of the schemes of  various Ministries  and Departments of  the Central Government in  accordance with guidelines issued by the Central Government for each scheme, and their own schemes, for ensuring food security to the targeted beneficiaries in their State lies with the concerned State Govt. Therefore, it  is  the  responsibility of  the  concerned state Govt.  to  maintain a  robust public distribution  system to ensure smooth distribution  of food grains to the targeted beneficiaries.

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