A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) & (b): The Government of India allocates foodgrains under following welfare schemes:
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(i) Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) - Government of India enacted National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 which provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population thus covering the bottom 67% of the population, which at Census 2011 is at a maximum limit of 81.35 crore persons. Identification of beneficiaries under the Act is under two categories- households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH). Priority Households are entitled to receive 5 Kg per person per month and AAY households are entitled to receive 35 Kg of foodgrains per household per month @ Rs 1/2/3 per kg for coarsegrains/wheat/rice respectively. There is no Below Poverty Line (BPL) category under the Act. However, the coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. The Act is operational in a seamless manner across all States/Union Territories.
The State/Union Territory-wise details of the foodgrains (rice & wheat) allocated under TPDS during the last three years and the current year is at Annexure- I.
(ii) Other Welfare Schemes - Government of India also allocates foodgrains under Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) such as Wheat Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), PM POSHAN (erstwhile Mid Day Meal) Scheme, Annapurna Scheme and Welfare Institutions & Hostels Scheme. Foodgrains are allocated under PM POSHAN and WBNP Schemes at NFSA rates and under SAG, Annapurna and Welfare Institutions and Hostels Scheme at BPL rates.
The State/Union Territory-wise details of the foodgrains (rice & wheat) allocated under Other Welfare Schemes during the last three years and the current year is at Annexure- II.
(c) to (e): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State/Union Territory Governments wherein the operational responsibilities rest with the States/UTs. Accordingly, as and when complaints are received by the Government from individuals, organizations, media, etc, regarding any irregularities in the functioning of the TPDS i.e. regarding leakage/diversion of subsidised foodgrains, issuance of ration cards, functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPS), etc, they are sent to the concerned State/UT Governments for inquiry and appropriate action at their end. An offence committed in violation of the provisions of TPDS (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 indicating number of such complaints received during the last three years is at Annexure- III and action taken under relevant clauses of the TPDS (Control) Order is at Annexure IV.
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Government of India has issued advisories to all States/UTs to identify and cover the weakest sections of the society under TPDS and launch special drives to issue ration cards to them upto the respective NFSA coverage limits. Further, Government of India has issued advisories to all State/UTs that no beneficiary/household shall be deleted from the list of eligible beneficiaries/households only on the grounds of not possessing Aadhaar and shall also not be denied subsidized foodgrains or cash transfer of food subsidy under NFSA due to non-availability of Aadhaar or failure of biometric authentication.
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