Lok Sabha Question No. 325 (STARRED), answered on 2016-08-09
Subject: Implementation of NFSA
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA, RAMESH BIDHURI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 325

## TO BE ANSWERED ON O9 TH  AUGUST, 2016

## IMPLEMENTATION OF NFSA

## *325. SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA: SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

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  salient  features  and  implementation  status  of  the  National  Food Security  Act  (NFSA)  indicating  the  number  of  persons  identified,  cards digitised  and  linked  with  Aadhaar,  specific  NFSA  cards  issued  and  the  date since when it is under implementation in each State;
- (b) whether some poor persons have reportedly been deprived of the benefits of  the  scheme  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons  therefor  along with  the  time  by  which  all  the  persons  are  likely  to  be  covered  and  cards issued and digitised, State-wise; and
- (c)  the  difficulties  faced/identified  in  effective  implementation  of  the  said scheme and the State specific steps taken for its effective implementation?

MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## A N S W E R (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 THE STARRED QUESTION NO. 325  DUE FOR  ANSWER ON  09.08.2016 IN THE LOK SABHA

- (a): The salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) is at Annexure-I. The Act is being implemented in 34 States/Union Territories (UTs) covering 73.64 crore persons.

Ration  cards  have  been  fully  digitized  in  all  the  States/UTs.  State/UTwise details of date of implementation of NFSA, number of ration cards and Aadhaar seeding is at Annexure - II.

- (b): Within the coverage determined for each State/UT for receiving subsidized  foodgrains  under  NFSA,  it  is  the  responsibility  of  States/UTs  to identify the eligible households. Identification is a continuous process, which involves exclusion of ineligible/ fake/ duplicate ration cards and inclusion of genuine left-out households.
- (c): For effective implementation of the Act, preparedness of the States/UTs in  terms  of  identification  of  eligible  households,  necessary  strengthening  of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), including its end-to-end computerization, setting up of grievance redressal mechanism  etc. is assessed  before  allocation  of  foodgrains  under  the  Act.  Progress  in  TPDS Computerization is reviewed / monitored with States/UTs at various levels and advisories are issued, wherever necessary.

***

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  STARRED QUESTION NO. 325 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 09.08.2016 IN LOK SABHA

## SALIENT FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT, 2013

- Coverage and entitlement under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):  Upto  75%  of  the  rural  population  and  50%  of  the  urban population  entitled  to  receive  5  kg  per  person  per  month.  However, since Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households constitute poorest of the poor, and are presently entitled to 35 kg per household per month, entitlement of existing AAY households has been protected at 35 kg
- (i) per household per month.
- (ii) State-wise coverage: Corresponding to the all India coverage of 75% and  50%  in  the  rural  and  urban  areas,  State-wise  coverage  will  be determined  by  the  Central  Government.  Planning  Commission  (now NITI Aayog) has determined the State-wise coverage by using the NSS Household Consumption Expenditure Survey data for 2011-12.
- (iii) Subsidized prices under TPDS and their revision: Foodgrains entitlement  under  TPDS  at  subsidized  prices  of  Rs.  3/2/1  per  kg  for rice, wheat and coarse grains respectively for a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act. Thereafter prices may be as fixed by the Central Government, but not exceeding MSP (derived MSP  in  case  of  rice).  It  has  been  decided  to  continue  with  current prices during 2016-17.
- In case, any State's allocation based on the coverage and foodgrains entitlements  under  the  Act  is  lower  than  their  allocation  under erstwhile TPDS, it will be protected upto the level of average offtake during 2010-11 to 2012-13, at prices to be determined by the Central Government. Existing prices for APL households i.e. Rs. 6.10 per kg for  wheat and Rs 8.30 per kg for rice has been determined as issue prices for the additional allocation to protect the past average offtake
- (iv) under erstwhile TPDS.
- (v) each  State,  the  work  of  identification  of  eligible  households  is responsibility of States/UTs.
- (vi) Nutritional  Support  to  women  and  children:  Pregnant  women  and lactating  mothers  and  children  in  the  age  group  of  6  months  to  14 years  entitled  to  meals,  free  of  cost,  as  per  prescribed  nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and MidDay  Meal  (MDM)  schemes.  Higher  nutritional  norms  have  been prescribed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age.

- (vii) Maternity Benefit: Pregnant women  and  lactating mothers also entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.
- (viii) Women  Empowerment:  Eldest  woman  of  the  household  of  age  18 years or above as head of the household for the purpose of issuing of ration cards.
- (ix) Grievance Redressal Mechanism: Grievance redressal mechanism at the  District  and  State  levels.  States  have  the  flexibility  to  use  the existing machinery or set up separate mechanism.
- (x) Cost  of  intra-State  transportation  &  handling  of  foodgrains  and  FPS Dealers' margin: Central assistance to States in meeting the expenditure incurred by them on transportation of foodgrains within the State, its handling and FPS dealers' margin as per norms devised for this purpose.
- (xi) Transparency  and  Accountability:  Provisions  have  been  made  for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits and setting up of Vigilance Committees in order to ensure transparency and
- accountability.
- (xii) Food  Security  Allowance:  Provision  for  food  security  allowance  to entitled  beneficiaries  in  case  of  non-supply  of  entitled  foodgrains  or meals.
- (xiii) Penalty:  Provision  for  penalty  on  public  servant  or  authority,  to  be imposed by the State Food Commission, in case of failure to comply with  the  relief  recommended  by  the  District  Grievance  Redressal Officer.

***

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO. 325 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 09.08.2016 IN LOK SABHA

## STATEMENT INDICATING STATE/UT-WISE DATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF NFSA, NUMBER OF RATION CARDS AND PERCENTAGE AADHAAR SEEDING IN RATION CARDS

| Sl No.   | Name of the State/UT   | Implementation started from the month of   | Number of ration cards   | % of Aadhaar seeding in ration cards   |
|----------|------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh         | December, 2015                             | 92,03,422                | 100.00                                 |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh      | April, 2016                                | 1,76,342                 | 1.57                                   |
| 3.       | Assam                  | December, 2015                             | 58,61,116                | 0.00                                   |
| 4.       | Bihar                  | March, 2014                                | 1,54,01,000              | 0.06                                   |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh           | January, 2014                              | 50,97,000                | 100.00                                 |
| 6.       | Delhi                  | October, 2013                              | 19,47,503                | 100.00                                 |
| 7.       | Goa                    | December, 2015                             | 1,31,069                 | 95.00                                  |
| 8.       | Gujarat                | April, 2016                                | 64,84,741                | 77.00                                  |
| 9.       | Haryana                | September, 2013                            | 29,33,019                | 88.00                                  |
| 10.      | Himachal Pradesh       | October, 2013                              | 7,95,169                 | 95.00                                  |
| 11.      | Jammu & Kashmir        | February, 2016                             | 15,97,288                | 62.00                                  |
| 12.      | Jharkhand              | October, 2015                              | 51,70,159                | 92.00                                  |
| 13.      | Karnataka              | January, 2014                              | 1,10,27,046              | 92.00                                  |
| 14.      | Madhya Pradesh         | March, 2014                                | 1,19,38,554              | 70.00                                  |
| 15.      | Maharashtra            | February, 2014                             | 1,48,28,050              | 87.00                                  |
| 16.      | Manipur                | April, 2016                                | 5,11,210                 | 0.37                                   |
| 17.      | Meghalaya              | February, 2016                             | 4,22,040                 | 0.00                                   |
| 18.      | Mizoram                | March, 2016                                | 1,40,184                 | 0.39                                   |
| 19.      | Nagaland               | July, 2016                                 | 2,83,581                 | 0.41                                   |
| 20.      | Odisha                 | November, 2015                             | 85,06,071                | 68.00                                  |
| 21.      | Punjab                 | December, 2013                             | 29,08,057                | 95.00                                  |
| 22.      | Rajasthan              | October, 2013                              | 96,63,006                | 100.00                                 |
| 23.      | Sikkim                 | January, 2016                              | 98,003                   | 68.00                                  |
| 24.      | Telangana              | October, 2015                              | 48,65,256                | 100.00                                 |
| 25.      | Tripura                | September, 2015                            | 5,94,534                 | 91.00                                  |
| 26.      | Uttar Pradesh          | January, 2016                              | 3,27,92,789              | 47.89                                  |
| 27.      | Uttarakhand            | October, 2015                              | 13,30,404                | 66.00                                  |
| 28.      | West Bengal            | June, 2015                                 | 5,65,29,599              | 57.00                                  |
| 29.      | A&N Islands            | March, 2016                                | 13,370                   | 33.00                                  |
| 30.      | Chandigarh             | February, 2014                             | 56,327                   | 95.00                                  |
| 31.      | Daman & Diu            | November, 2015                             | 26,121                   | 90.00                                  |
| 32.      | Dadra & Nagar Haveli   | March, 2016                                | 36,788                   | 78.00                                  |
| 33.      | Lakshadweep            | August, 2015                               | 5,134                    | 97.00                                  |
| 34.      | Puducherry             | September, 2015                            | 1,84,413                 | 95.00                                  |
| Total    | Total                  | Total                                      | 21,15,58,365             | 60.83%                                 |