(a) whether the Union Government have assessed the demand of sugar, rice and whet for PDS in the country during the current year;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the extent to which the shortage of sugar, rice and wheat has been estimated; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to meet the requirement of these items?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ( SHRI SRIRAM CHAUHAN )
(a),(b)&(c): Allocation of wheat, rice and sugar under PDS is not demand based. PDS is not
a substitute for the open market but only a supplement to it.
Under the Targetted Public Distribution System(TPDS) introduced from June, 97, allocation
of wheat and rice were made to the States / UTs for the families below poverty line (BPL) to
provide 10 kg foodgrains per family per month. Transitory allocation of foodgrains (wheat and
rice ) was also made for families above poverty line (APL) equal to the difference between the
past 10 years` annual average lifting of foodgrains by a State /UT and its requirement of
foodgrains for BPL families. Allocation of foodgrains was doubled from 10 kg to 20 kg per family
per month for BPL families from April, 2000 which has again been increased to 25 kg per family
per month w.e.f. July, 2001 while retaining the allocation for APL population at the same level
as was fixed at the time of introduction of TPDS.
The allocation of levy sugar under PDS has been restricted to BPL population based on
population projection as on 1.3.2000 except in NE States / Hilly States / Island territories
where levy sugar is allocated for the entire population w.e.f. 1.2.2001. Government has also
increased the minimum per capita supply of sugar to eligible persons under PDS from 425 gm to
500 gm per month in all States / UTs except the NE States, Hilly States and Island territories
where the minimum norm is 700 gm per head per month.