Lok Sabha Question No. 409 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-26
Subject: Starvation Deaths in Tea Gardens of West Bengal
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SANKAR PRASAD DATTA, FEROZE VARUN GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 409

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  APRIL, 2016

## STARVATION DEATHS IN TEA GARDENS OF WEST BENGAL

409.  SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA: SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

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 it is a fact that a large number of hunger/starvation deaths have been reported from the tea gardens of West Bengal during the last one  year  inviting  adverse  observations  from  the  Supreme  Court  on  food distress  situation  therein,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  remedial measures being taken in this regard;
- (b) whether any discussions have been held with the State in this regard for providing relief to the garden workers/farmers, if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes to provide any Central Assistance to the State in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

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

- (a)  to  (c):  No  State  Government/Union  Territory  Administration  including West Bengal  has reported any incident of death due to starvation.

However, to eradicate the problem of hunger/starvation and to provide food  security  to  the  vulnerable  population,  the  Government  has  been providing food grains at highly subsidized prices to the targeted population through  State  Governments/Union  Territory  Administrations  under  the Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS)  and  Other  Welfare  Schemes (OWS)  such  as  Mid-Day  Meal  Scheme,  Integrated  Child  Development Services  (ICDS)  Scheme,  Rajiv  Gandhi  Scheme  for  Empowerment  of Adolescent Girls, Annapurna Scheme  etc.

During  the  year  2015-16,  the  Govt.  of  India  has  so  far    allocated 611.10  lakh  tons    of  foodgrains  under  TPDS  and  OWS.    This  includes allocation  of  496.77  lakh  tons  under  TPDS/NFSA,        50.01  lakh  tons additional APL and BPL allocation, 11.70 lakh tons for natural calamities, additional TPDS requirements etc., and 52.62 lakh tons of foodgrains under OWS.    During  the  current  year  2016-17,  the  Govt.  of  India  has  so  far allocated 573.41 lakh tons  of foodgrains under TPDS/ NFSA and OWS.`

To further strengthen the efforts to address the food security of the people, Government of India has notified the National Food Security Act, 2013 on 10 th  September, 2013.  The act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving foodgrains  at  subsidized  prices  of  Rs.3,2  &  1  per  Kg  for  rice,  wheat  & coarse grains respectively under Targeted Public Distribution System(TPDS), thus covering about two-third of the population.

The  Act  also  has  a  special  focus  on  nutritional  support  to  women and  children,  Pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers  will  be  entitled  to meals as nutritional norms as well as to receive maternity benefit of not less  than  Rs.  6,000.    Children  upto  14  years  of  age  will  be  entitled  to nutritious  meals  or  take  home  rations  as  per  the  prescribed  nutritional standards.    In  case  of  non  supply  of  entitled  foodgrains  or  meals,  the beneficiaries will received food security allowance.

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