Lok Sabha Question No. 533 (STARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Reduction of Dependency on Free Foodgrains
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri P V Midhun Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. 533 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST APRIL, 2026

## REDUCTION OF DEPENDENCY ON FREE FOODGRAINS

## '533.  SHRI PV MIDHUN REDDY:

Will  the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a): whether the Government is planning to reduce the dependency of over 81 crore people on free foodgrains and if  so, the details of  the steps being taken by  the Government to  promote selfsufficiency  among these beneficiaries;
- (b) : whether there are any initiatives  or schemes designed  by the Union  Government to assist States like  Andhra Pradesh in  transitioning  from  free  foodgrain distribution  to  employment and skill  development programmes  and if so, the details thereof;
- (c): the details of the additional  support, if  any, being provided by the Union Government  to Andhra Pradesh to ensure the efficient  distribution  of free foodgrains to those in need and to tackle challenges  related to poverty and food insecurity; and
- (d): the manner in which the Union  Government ensures that the State's most vulnerable populations  are adequately covered under  food  distribution  programmes while  promoting  long term economic stability?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION AND MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI PFLALHAD JOSHI)

(a) to (d):

A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a) TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 533* (13Tll POSITION) DUE FOR ANSWER ON IsT APRIL, 2026 REGARDING 'REDUCTION  OF DEPENDENCY ON FREE FOODGFLAINS'

(a) &  (b): No  sir, there is no proposal for  reduction of  coverage under the Pradhan  Mantri  Garib Kalyan Anna Yoj ana (PMGKAY).

The  Central Government has launched several national initiatives  aimed at  enhancing employability  and self-reliance among youth,  including  those in Andhra  Pradesh. Government of India through its various programmes and policies has prioritised  skill  development to create selfand wage-employment opportunities,  and has moved  from  fragmented, low-scale  skilling  efforts towards creating a larger, more coordinated, digitally  enabled, and education-integrated skilling and entrepreneurship  ecosystem. Under Skill  India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of  Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)  delivers skill, re-skill  and up-skill  training through an extensive network of  skill  development centres under various  schemes, viz.  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal  Vikas Yojana(PMKVY), Jan Shikshan  Sansthan  (JSS),  National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training  Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs),  to all the sections  of the society across the country.

(c): The Central Government provides additional support to all States/UTs including State of Andhra Pradesh by providing  foodgrains free of  cost to the States/UTs through Food Corporation of India (FCI), for which food subsidy is released to FCI. Only in the case of States participating in the  Decentralized Procurement (DCP),  under which  State Government take responsibility  of procurement of foodgrains and its distribution to the eligible households, that food subsidy is released directly to State Governments.

The Central Government also provides the assistance to  States/UTs in prescribed funding pattern (i.e.  50:50 for the State of  Andhra Pradesh) for  meeting the expenditure towards last mile delivery of  foodgrains and fair  price shop dealers' margin for distribution  of foodgrains to entitled beneficiaries.

- (d): The PMGKAY  provides for coverage of  upto 75% of  rural population and upto 50% of urban population for  receiving  foodgrains free  of  cost covering about two-thirds  of  the total population which at Census 2011 comes to  81.35 crore. The coverage of  beneficiaries is substantially high  to  ensure that  all  the vulnerable and needy sections of  the  society get  its benefit. The Central Government has issued advisories to all the States/Union Territories from time to time to identify  all eligible and poor persons/ households including vulnerable Sections of the Society for  inclusion  under the NFS A.  States undertake updation of  their  beneficiary  database so that ineligible ration cards get deleted  and better targeting of rightful beneficiaries  is ensured. Thus, deletion of ineligible beneficiaries  and addition of eligible beneficiaries  under the Act is a contInuous  process.

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