Question : FAKE RATION CARDS

(a) the total number of fake ration cards reported in the country, State-wise;

(b) whether complaints have been received regarding non-issuance of ration cards to eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) families;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether large quantities of foodgrains provided under Public Distribution System were diverted to open market thus denying the entitled quota to BPL families;

(e) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and

(f) the steps taken to check such irregularities alongwith the action taken against the officers held responsible?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)

(a) to (f) Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), focused on the poor is operated under joint responsibility of Central and State/UT Governments. The operational responsibilities for allocations of foodgrains within the States/UTs, identification of eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) families based on poverty estimates of Planning Commission, issuance of ration cards to them, and supervision over & monitoring of functioning of fair price shops rest with the concerned States & UT governments.

Complaints as and when received by the government about malpractices in TPDS, including issuing of ration cards to ineligible persons, denial of ration cards to eligible beneficiaries and diversion/leakages of foodgrains are sent to the concerned State/UT Governments for enquiry and necessary action as per law. Details of quantities of foodgrains diverted are being collected from State/UT governments.

The Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2001 mandates the State/UT Governments to issue distinctive ration cards to Above Poverty Line (APL), Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families and to conduct periodical review and checking of ration cards, to weed out ineligible and bogus ration cards and bogus units in the ration cards.

To streamline the functioning of TPDS, in consultation with the State Governments, a Nine Point Action Plan was evolved in 2006, which inter-alia includes continuous review of BPL/AAY lists and to eliminate bogus/ineligible ration cards. As a result of implementation of this action plan, 17 State/UT Governments have reported by 15.11.2009, deletion of 159.42 lakhs bogus/ ineligible ration cards.

Further instructions have been issued to all State/UT Governments to take action as per law against the persons found in possession of bogus/fake ration cards and the government staff found responsible for issuing ration cards to ineligible families/ persons.

For various malpractices detected under TPDS, details of persons prosecuted under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (E.C Act, 1955) and the persons detained under the Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 (PBM Act, 1980) during 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 are as under:

Sl. No.	Year	Persons prosecuted	Persons detained	under	EC Act, 1955	under PBM Act, 1980

1.	2006	3244	161
2.	2007	4872	119
3.	2008	6425	162
4.	2009	2982	126	(upto	31.10.09)