MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAMVILAS PASWAN)
(a): In terms of the Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2001, State/UT Governments are to review the lists of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families every year for the purpose of deletion of ineligible families and inclusion of eligible families.The exercise of deletion of bogus/ineligible cards and inclusion of eligible families is a conti- nuous process and State Governments are to periodically carry out the same.
Further, in consultation with the State/UT Gover- nments, a Nine Point Action Plan was evolved in 2006, which inter-alia includes continuous review of BPL/AAY lists and to eliminate bogus/ineligible ration cards alongwith strict action to be taken against the guilty to ensure leakage free dist- ribution of foodgrains. State/UT Governments were also requested to initiate penal action against the Government staff found responsible for issuing bogus/ineligible ration cards and the families/ persons possessing such ration cards. Instructions were issued to all State/UT Governments to carry out an intensive campaign from October, 2009 to December, 2009 to review the existing lists of BPL/AAY families and eliminate ineligible/bogus ration cards. Instructions have also been issued to all State/UT Governments to issue warning to the bogus ration card holders, through adverti- sements in the newspapers, to surrender the bogus cards.
As a result thereof, 30 State/UT Governments have reported by 31.12.2014, deletion of 494.34 lakh bogus/ineligible ration cards.
With a view to modernize the system, the Government has initiated a Plan Scheme on End-to-end Compute- risation of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operations on cost sharing basis with States/ UTs which would facilitate digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and de-duplication of benefi- ciaries data.
(b) to (e): for allocation of foodgrains (rice and wheat) to State and Union Territories (UTs) under the existing TPDS, Department of Food and Public Distribution uses the number of 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 Government, whichever is less. As per these estimates, the total number of BPL families is 6.52 crore, which includes about 2.42 crore Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families Under the existing TPDS, some State/UT Government have reported issuance of more number of ration cards than the prescribed number of BPL families based on above estimates. A statement indicating State-wise number of households, BPL households and ration cards under existing TPDS is at Annex-I
Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, the coverage under TPDS has been delinked from the poverty estimates and shall extend at the all India level upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population. As per the above coverage and based on 2011 census population, the number of persons eligible for subsidized foodgrains under TPDS is estimated at about 81.35 crore. Further, there is no proposal under consideration of the Government for preparing a fresh list of BPL beneficiaries.
Corresponding to the above coverage under NFSA at the all India level, State/UT-wise coverage has been determined by the Planning Commission for each State/Union Territory (UT), including Rajasthan. The percentage coverage determined for Rajasthan is 69.09% for rural areas and 53.00% for urban areas. The Act further provides that number of persons covered in rural and urban areas of the States/UTs shall be cal- culated on the basis of the population estimates as per the census of which the relevant figures have been published. Based on the preparedness and identification of beneficiaries for coverage under the NFSA, reported by them, allocation of foodgrains to 11 States/Union Territories (UTs), including Rajasthan, has started under the Act. State/UT-wise details of identified beneficiaries in the NFSA implementing States are at Annex-II.
