(a) whether it is a fact that growth of personal and home care consumption has crossed the demand for retail food categories in the country;
(b) if so the comparative growth value in case of urban and rural areas and the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the demand for items of food categories is consistently lower than that of other FMCG; and
(d) if so, the proposal of the Government for revival of food products both in urban and rural markets?
THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (d) : Madam, no such data is available. However, Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is now governed as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), which provides for coverage of about 67% of the total population of the country (75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population) for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains under TPDS. Coverage under the Act is under two categories- households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) to the extent specified by the Central Government and the remaining households as priority households to be identified by the State Governments/ Union Territories (UT) Administrations as per criteria evolved by them, within the coverage determined for the State/UT. Households covered under AAY are entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per household per month at Rs. 1/2/3 per kg for coarse grains/ wheat/ rice respectively, under the Act. The priority households are entitled to receive 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at the above prices.
The Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs covering about 80.73 crore persons, against intended total coverage of 81.34 crore persons for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains. Accordingly, 553.28 lakh tons annual foodgrains is being allocated to States/UTs.
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