(a) whether the Supreme Court has issued any directions to provide foodgrains at PDS outlets in drought affected districts; and
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof?
(a) whether the Supreme Court has issued any directions to provide foodgrains at PDS outlets in drought affected districts; and
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS,FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)
(a) & (b): In the Writ Petition(C) No. 857 of 2015 filed by Swaraj Abhiyan against the Union of India & Ors., Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 13.05.2016 has directed to provide foodgrains to all households in the drought affected States in terms of National Food Security Act(NFSA) and that no household in a drought affected area shall be denied foodgrains as required under the Act only because the household does not have a ration card.
Above directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court were communicated to the State Governments for compliance. Based on the requests received from the States for additional allocation of foodgrains for drought relief and as per the demand made by the States, Government of India has allocated a quantity of 23.80 lakh tons of foodgrains during 2015-16 and 2016-17 to the States for drought relief. Under the NFSA, responsibilities for identification of beneficiaries and distribution of foodgrains to the beneficiaries lie with the concerned State Government.
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