Question : Supply of Commodities at Ration Shops

(a) the details of the steps taken/proposed to be taken to review/ensure adequate and quality supply of essential commodities at ration shops and to speed up the process of issuing new family cards with digitisation facilities of cards instead of manual to supply ration items;

(b) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to impress upon coperative societies to disburse loans to eligible borrowers from self help groups, small traders, people with disabilities and women entrepreneur groups seeking assistance during the pandemic while supplying ration items through Fair Price Shops (FPS), the details thereof;

(c) the details of the necessary steps taken on the suggestions and implementation for digitisation of the public distribution system, bringing in the FPS that were under the purview of various departments under one department and shifting the FPS from rented spaces to their own premises during the last five years and current year till date and funds incurred thereon, State-wise including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; and

(d) the steps details of the being taken for providing basic amenities to women staff, strengthening the warehouses, online monitoring of movement of paddy and addressing issues related to errors in weighing of goods sold till date, State/UT-wise?

A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

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(a): NFSA, 2013 is an Act to provide food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity and for matters connected therewith. It is implemented across the country. Under PDS reforms, all ration cards database have been digitized. Presently, all ration cards are issued by respective States/UTs through computerization process.


(b): All operational responsibilities like licensing of fair price shop dealers and their monitoring/management lies with the respective States/UTs. As such, no provisions exist under NFSA to disburse loans to eligible borrowers from self help groups, small traders, people with disabilities and women entrepreneur groups seeking assistance during the pandemic while supplying ration items through Fair Price Shops (FPS).

(c): Under PDS reforms, so far, about 4.98 lakh (92.7%) out of 5.38 lakh of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) across the country have been automated by installing ePoS devices for transparent distribution of foodgrains to beneficiaries. Presently, PDS operations are governed under NFSA provisions/norms. Further, no provision exists under NFSA to develop such type of FPS infrastructure.


(d): Basic amenities to women staff are provided in accordance with the laid down guidelines.

For strengthening of warehouses, FCI continuously assess and monitors the storage capacity based on the storage gap assessment, storage capacities are created/hired, through various schemes, i.e., Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme, Central Sector Scheme (CSS), Construction of SILO’s under PPP mode, Hiring of godowns from CWCs/SWCs, State Agencies, Private Warehousing Scheme (PWS).

Further, for online monitoring of movement of foodgrains within the States/UTs, the supply chain management is computerized in almost all States/UTs. This Department has also advised all the States/UTs to integrate the electronic weighing scales/machines with ePoS devices at all FPSs for transparent weighment of foodgrains for distribution to beneficiaries.
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