(a) whether the complaints have been received in respect of the corruption in food distribution in the country including in Uttar Pradesh;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to check it, State-wise; and
(c) the plan formulated by the Government for permanent solution for checking the said corruption?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)
(a) to (c): Public Distribution System (PDS) is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State/UT Governments, wherein the operational responsibilities within the State/UT rest with the respective State/UT Government. As and when complaints are received in this Department from individuals, organizations as well as through media reports regarding any irregularities in the functioning of the PDS, including corruption, leakages & diversion of subsidized foodgrains thus not reaching to the intended beneficiaries, etc., they are forwarded to the concerned State/UT Government for inquiry and appropriate action at their end.
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An offence committed in violation of the provisions of PDS (Control) Order, 2015 is liable for penal action under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Thus, the Order empowers State/UT Governments to take punitive action in case of contravention of relevant provisions of these Orders. A State/UT-wise statement including Uttar Pradesh indicating number of such complaints received in the Department during the current year is at Annexure-I. Also, the institutional mechanism for the monitoring and grievance redressal under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) provides setting up of Vigilance Committees, District Grievance Redressal Officers and independent State Food Commission for making the system more efficient and transparent.
Further, to bring reforms in the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS), this Department in collaboration with all States/UTs is implementing a scheme on ‘End-to-End Computerization of PDS Operations’. The scheme comprises of digitization of ration cards/beneficiaries, computerization of supply-chain management, setting up of transparency portals and grievance redressal mechanisms in all States/UTs. The Scheme also includes automation of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) by installation of electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices for distribution of foodgrain at all FPSs and electronic record keeping of all sale transactions.
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ANNEXURE-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.251 DUE FOR ANSWERED ON 19.11.2019 IN THE LOK SABHA.
STATEMENT: COMPLAINTS ON TPDS RECEIVED IN THE DEPARTMENT FROM INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS & THROUGH MEDIA REPORTS ETC FOR THE YEAR 2019 (upto 31.10.2019)
S. No. State/UT 2019
1 Andhra Pradesh 6
2 Arunachal Pradesh -
3 Assam 7
4 Bihar 108
5 Chhattisgarh 7
6 Delhi 78
7 Goa 1
8 Gujarat 7
9 Haryana 34
10 Himachal Pradesh 1
11 J&K 3
12 Jharkhand 16
13 Karnataka 18
14 Kerala 11
15 Madhya Pradesh 24
16 Maharashtra 24
17 Manipur -
18 Meghalaya 1
19 Mizoram -
20 Nagaland 1
21 Orissa 16
22 Punjab 14
23 Rajasthan 23
24 Sikkim -
25 Tamil Nadu 15
26 Telangana 3
27 Tripura -
28 Uttarakhand 12
29 Uttar Pradesh 328
30 West Bengal 48
31 A&N Island -
32 Chandigarh -
33 D& N Haveli -
34 Daman & Diu -
35 Lakshadweep -
36 Puducherry 1
TOTAL 807
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