Question : Automation of Ration Shops

(a) whether the Government has any details regarding number of ration shops in the country, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;

(b) whether the Government is implementing a scheme for automation of ration shops in the country, if so, the details of the scheme including its present status and the amount earmarked, disbursed to the State Governments under the Scheme; and

(c) whether the Government is implementing a scheme called One Nation and One Ration Card in the country, if so, the details thereof including the salient features and the estimated cost of implementation?

A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a) & (b): The Department in association with all States/UTs is implementing a scheme on ‘End-to-End Computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Operations’ including automation of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) to bring transparency and efficiency in the allocation and distribution of highly subsidised foodgrains to beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). So far, nearly 88% FPSs in the country have been automated by installing ePoS devices at FPSs. A statement showing State/UT wise total number of FPSs is annexed.
............2/-


-2-
As regard financial assistance to States/UTs, ‘The Food Security (Assistance to State Governments) Rules 2015’ under NFSA provides for reimbursement of an additional dealer margin to States/UTs at the rate of Rs.17 per quintal of foodgrains distributed through the ePoS devices, to meet up the expenditure incurred towards the purchasing cost, operational/ running/ maintenance expenses of ePoS devices and incentives for their use. Such expenditure would be shared between Centre and State/UT Governments on 75:25 basis for 23 Special Category States/UTs and on 50:50 basis for 13 General Category States/UTs. So far, this Department has released a total of about Rs. 100 Crore to concerned States under NFSA during the current financial year.
(c): To sustain the reforms brought in by the scheme on ‘End-to-End Computerization of TPDS Operations’ and to introduce new reforms, the Department in association with States/UTs is implementing another scheme namely “Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)” w.e.f. April 2018 with a total outlay of Rs. 127 Crore. The main objective of the scheme is to introduce nation-wide portability of ration card holders under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), through ''One Nation One Ration Card'' system. This system enables the migratory ration card holders/beneficiaries to lift their entitled foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice in the country by using their existing/same ration card issued in their home State/UT after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs. So far this facility is available in 12 States.
****


Annexure
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.300 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 04.02.2020 IN THE LOK SABHA.
Status of End-to-End Computerization of PDS Operations Scheme as on 14.01.2020
Sl. States/UTs Total Fair Price Shop
1 Andaman & Nicobar 479
2 Andhra Pradesh 28,936
3 Arunachal Pradesh 1,943
4 Assam 38,237
5 Bihar 46,800
6 Chandigarh (DBT) NA
7 Chhattisgarh 12,304
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 63
9 Daman & Diu 51
10 Delhi 2,254
11 Goa 456
12 Gujarat 17,210
13 Haryana 9,526
14 Himachal Pradesh 4,934
15 Jammu & Kashmir
(incl. Ladakh) 6,411
16 Jharkhand 25,532
17 Karnataka 19,935
18 Kerala 14,374
19 Lakshadweep 39
20 Madhya Pradesh 24,732
21 Maharashtra 52,532
22 Manipur 2,682
23 Meghalaya 4,736
24 Mizoram 1,252
25 Nagaland 1,691
26 Odisha 12,577
27 Puducherry (DBT) NA
28 Punjab 17,525
29 Rajasthan 25,682
30 Sikkim 1,362
31 Tamil Nadu 34,776
32 Telangana 17,170
33 Tripura 1,806
34 Uttar Pradesh 80,493
35 Uttarakhand 9,908
36 West Bengal 20,806
Summary 5,39,214
****