Question : Implementation of PDS-TPDS-AAY

(a) whether the implementation of Public Distribution System(PDS), TPDS, Antyodaya Anna Yojana has been badly affected due to theft of foodgrains, corruption in fair price shops and frequent changes in licence holders of fair price shops;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the remedial measures taken in this regard including cases registered and action taken against the officials involved;
(c) whether there is any proposal to introduce food coupons and smart card system for preventing diversion of foodgrains;
(d) if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Government has received any investigation reports on modus operandi used to siphon off BPL rations and other subsidies;
(f) if so, the factual position in this regard; and
(g) whether biometric identification and use of scanners to authenticate BPL ration cardholders will prevent loss of subsidized food and if so, the manner in which the conclusion was arrived at?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)
(a) & (b): Public Distribution System (PDS) is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and State/UT Governments. Central Govt. is responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the FCI. The operational responsibilities for allocation and distribution of foodgrains within the States/UTs, identification of eligible beneficiaries/families, issuance of ration cards to them and supervision and monitoring of functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) rest with the concerned State/UT Government. An offence committed in violation of the provisions of TPDS (C) Order, 2015 is liable for penal action under the
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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. Statement showing details of action taken by the State/UT Governments under relevant clauses of the PDS/TPDS (Control) Orders from January 2015 to December, 2017 is given below.
Year
Number of inspections
Number of raids conducted
Number of persons arrested/
prosecuted/
convicted
Number of FPS
Licenses suspended/
Cancelled/
Show cause notices issued/FIR
Lodged
2015
573113
43546
1499
15176
2016
543938
65358
11408
11687
2017
202723
20270
5927
3569
Total
1319774
129174
18834
30432
(c) & (d): There is no proposal under consideration in the Department to introduce food coupons and smart card system.
(e) to (f): The nature of complaints relate to untimely supply of foodgrains, leakage/diversion, inclusion/exclusion errors, poor quality of foodgrains, bogus/ineligible ration cards being in circulation, irregular functioning of FPS, beneficiaries not getting their entitled quota of foodgrains, allotment of fair price shops in an arbitrary manner, etc. As and when complaints are received by the Government from individuals and organizations as well as through press reports, they are sent to concerned State/UT for inquiry and appropriate action.
(g): To identify and weed out duplicate/ ineligible beneficiaries from PDS, and to enable rightful targeting of food subsidies, the States/UTs have been asked to seed available Aadhaar numbers of eligible beneficiaries/ households in their ration cards and install e PoS devices at the Fair Price Shops with the facility for the biometric authentication of the beneficaries. States/UTs are reported to have cancelled/deleted 2.75 crore cards during 2013-17. Introduction of biometric authentication has helped in the process.
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