Lok Sabha Question No. 2747 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Starvation Deaths among Children
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: LALLU SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2747

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th   MAY, 2016

## STARVATION DEATHS AMONG CHILDREN

## 2747. SHRI LALLU SINGH:

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 the Government has received any report regarding death of children due to starvation/hunger;
- (b)   if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c)   whether  the  schemes  being  implemented  to  eliminate  hunger/starvation  among children has failed to achieve their objectives;
- (d)   if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken in this regard; and
- (e)   the  steps  being  taken  to  achieve  Millennium Development  Goals with regard to elimination of hunger along with the success achieved therein?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM  VILAS PASWAN)

(a) to (e):   No  State  Government/Union  Territory  Administration  has  reported  any incident of death of children due to starvation/hunger so far.

In  order  to  eradicate  the  problem  of  hunger/starvation  and  to  provide  food security  to  the  people,  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.  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 at highly 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.  NFSA  also  has  a special  focus  on  nutritional  support  to  women  and  children.  Pregnant  women  & lactating mothers and children upto 14 years of age are entitled to meals, free of cost, as per nutritional standards prescribed in the Act.

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

As  per  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  India  Country  Report  2015,  the proportion of underweight children below 3 years is estimated at 52% in 1990. In order to  meet the MDG target, the proportion of under-weight children should decrease to 26% by 2015. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) shows that, the proportion of under-weight children below 3 year declined from 43% in 1998-99 to 40% in 2005-06.

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