Lok Sabha Question No. 118 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-28
Subject: Implementation of NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: JAGDAMBIKA PAL, FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 118 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH  JULY, 2015

## IMPLEMENTATION OF NFSA

- *118. SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL: SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE:

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

- (a) whether  there  has  been  an  inordinate  delay  in  the  proper  and absolute implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, beyond the 365 days limit for its implementation, prescribed under the Act, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether requests have been received from the States for extension of the deadline for implementation of the Act, if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto indicating the deadline fixed for its implementation in various States; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  urged  the  States  to  link  the  recent Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011 with the implementation of  the  NFSA,  particularly  in  identifying  beneficiaries  and  allocating  funds and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  indicating  the  total  number  of  States  that have agreed to adopt the SECC?

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

- (a) to (c):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) of STARRED QUESTION NO. 118 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 28-07-2015 IN THE LOK SABHA

(a) to (c): The  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013  (NFSA)  provided  for  a period  not  exceeding  365  days  to  the  States/Union  Territories  (UTs)  for identification  of  eligible  households,  within  the  coverage  determined  for each State/UT,  for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). Eligible households under the Act comprise of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and priority households. As per the Act, identification of AAY households is to be done in accordance with the guidelines applicable to said scheme, whereas priority households are to  be  identified  in  accordance  with  such  guidelines  as  States/UTs  may specify.  AAY is an ongoing scheme and the AAY households are already identified in States/UTs. For identification of priority households , complete responsibility for evolving the criteria and their actual identification is with the  States/UTs.    It  is  not  linked  to  Socio  Economic  and  Caste  Census (SECC), 2011 under the Act.

Main  responsibility  for  implementation  of  the  Act,  which  inter  alia includes identification of eligible households, issuing ration cards to them, distribution of foodgrains' entitlements to eligible households through fair price shops, setting up effective grievance redressal mechanism, necessary  strengthening  of  TPDS,  rests  with  State/UT  Governments. Accordingly,  based  on  identification  of  beneficiaries  and  preparedness reported by 13 States/UTs, foodgrains under the Act are being allocated to them.  Remaining  23  States/UTs  have  not  completed  all  the  preparatory measures required for implementation of the Act and foodgrains allocation under existing TPDS is continuing in these States/UTs. As implementation of the Act did not start in several States/UTs and some of the States/UTs also  sought  extension  of  time  to  complete  identification  of  beneficiaries and other preparatory measures, the time period of 365 days provided in Act had to be extended thrice, latest extension being upto 30.09.2015.

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