Question : NEW CRITERIA FOR ALLOCATION

(a) whether presently the ration cards are issued and foodgrains allocated on the basis of census data of 2001 thereby depriving a large number of poor persons of the benefits of welfare schemes in different States including Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has initiated any action to formulate a new criteria to issue ration cards and allocate foodgrains on the basis of 2011 census data; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the progress made therein?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE)

(a) to (d): For allocation of foodgrains (rice and wheat) to States and Union Territories (UTs) under the existing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Department of Food and Public Distribution uses the number of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families based on 1993-94 poverty estimates of Planning Commission and the population estimates of Registrar General of India (RGI) as on 1st March 2000 or the number of such families actually identified and ration cards issued to them by State/UT Governments, whichever is less. As per these estimates, the accepted number of BPL families, for which foodgrains allocation are being made, is 6.52 crore, which includes 2.42 crore Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families. Allocation of foodgrains to 11.52 crore Above Poverty Line (APL) families are also made depending upon the availability of foodgrains in the Central Pool and the past offtake.

Under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) which has come into force with effect from 5.7.2013, the coverage under TPDS has been delinked from poverty estimates. The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population at the all India level under TPDS. The Act further provides that the total number of persons to be covered shall be calculated on the basis of population estimates as per the census of which the relevant figures have been published. Accordingly, the state-wise total coverage under NFSA has been determined on the basis of percentage coverage determined for each State/UT by the Planning Commission and the population as per census, 2011.