(a) whether the cases of violation of provisions of Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2001 and Food Security Act, 2013 have come to the notice of the Government during the last three years and the current year;
(b) if so, the details and nature of violations thereof, State/UT-wise and the reasons therefor;
(c) the present status of such cases; and
(d) the other steps being taken by the Government to prevent violation of the provisions of the said Acts?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (c): There have been complaints/reports from individuals and organizations as well as through press reports relating to untimely supply of foodgrains, leakage/diversion, inclusion/exclusion errors, bogus/ineligible ration cards being in circulation, diversion/theft of foodgrains, irregular functioning of FPS, beneficiaries not getting their entitled quota of foodgrains and allotment of fair price shops in an arbitrary manner, etc. Under National Food Security [NFSA] Act, 2013 and Targeted Public Distribution System[TPDS] (Control) Orders, responsibility of addressing all these issues falls under the purview of respective State/UT Governments. Therefore, as and when shortcomings/complaints are received by this Department, these are referred to the State/UT Governments concerned for inquiry and appropriate action.
...2/-
...2...
A statement indicating State-wise number of complaints on Targeted Public Distribution System [TPDS] received from 2013 to 2016 (upto 10.10.2016) is at Annexure.
(d) : To prevent the violation of provisions of TPDS[Control] Order 2015 and NFSA 2013, the Department of Food & Public Distribution is implementing a Plan Scheme on ‘End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations’ under 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) on cost sharing basis with the States/UTs. The Scheme comprises of activities namely, digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and other databases, computerisation of supply-chain management, setting up of transparency portals and grievance redressal mechanisms and installation of e PoS devices at Fair Price Shops and issuance of foodgrains through biometric authentication.
Besides above, all States/UTs have been also requested to seed the Aadhaar numbers in Ration Card database. The scheme will enable removal of bogus/ineligible ration cards and better targeting of food subsidy, facilitate availability of foodgrains to intended beneficiaries at Fair Price Shops (FPS), check leakages and diversions etc.
Further, NFSA provides for two tier Grievance Redressal Mechanism in each State/UT including District Grievance Redressal Officer and State Food Commission.
****
ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (c) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2297 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 29.11.2016 IN THE LOK SABHA
STATEMENT: COMPLAINTS ON TPDS RECEIVED IN THE DEPARTMENT FROM INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS & THROUGH MEDIA REPORTS ETC FROM 2013 TO 2016 (upto 10.10.2016)
S. No.
State/UT
2013
2014
2015
2016
1
Andhra Pradesh
3
4
8
3
2
Arunachal Pradesh
-
1
1
-
3
Assam
-
5
34
31
4
Bihar
32
55
106
61
5
Chhattisgarh
3
3
6
9
6
Delhi
37
78
113
79
7
Goa
-
-
-
1
8
Gujarat
4
16
8
9
9
Haryana
11
26
35
29
10
Himachal Pradesh
-
-
4
3
11
J&K
-
-
5
3
12
Jharkhand
8
16
32
21
13
Karnataka
6
6
16
18
14
Kerala
1
1
16
16
15
Madhya Pradesh
17
7
17
15
16
Maharashtra
20
25
48
49
17
Manipur
2
1
6
3
18
Meghalaya
1
2
7
9
19
Mizoram
-
-
-
-
20
Nagaland
-
3
-
-
21
Orissa
3
8
22
41
22
Punjab
6
5
10
4
23
Rajasthan
18
31
33
40
24
Sikkim
0
-
-
-
25
Tamil Nadu
9
7
22
24
26
Telangana
-
-
10
-
27
Tripura
-
-
-
1
28
Uttarakhand
2
8
24
18
29
Uttar Pradesh
92
137
197
350
30
West Bengal
7
11
32
23
31
A&N Island
-
-
-
1
32
Chandigarh
-
3
6
2
33
D& N Haveli
-
1
-
-
34
Puducherry
-
-
-
-
TOTAL
282
460
818
863
***