(a) whether the Union Government have taken any decision to allow the State Governments to fix margin money for Fair Price Shops;
(b) if so, whether the Union Government have issued some guidelines in this regard;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) the difference between the present and previous rates of margin; and
(e) the present rates of foodgrains under below poverty line?
THE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ( SHRI SHANTA KUMAR )
(a),(b),(c),(d)&(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a),(b),(c),(d)&(e) OF STARRED QUESTION
NO. 468 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 24-08-2001 IN THE LOK SABHA.
(a),(b),(c)&(d): Under the Guidelines for the implementation of the Targeted Public
Distribution System (TPDS), the States were required to issue the foodgrains at Fair Price
Shops (FPSs), particularly, to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) population at a price not more
than 50 paise over and above the Central Issue Price for the BPL population. The Central
Government has now given flexibility to the State Governments in the matter of fixing margin
for FPSs by removing that restriction. However, this would not apply to the Antyodaya Anna
Yojana, where the end retail price is to be retained at Rs.2 a kg. for wheat and Rs.3 a kg.
for rice.
(e): The Central Issue Prices of wheat and rice for BPL families at present are as under:-
Wheat Rs.415 per quintal Rice Rs.565 per quintal