(a) whether the Government have investigated the irregularities in procurement and allotment of wheat and rice under PDS;
(b) if so, the outcome thereof;
(c) the number of States who have not fully lifted their quota under PDS scheme; and
(d) the reasons for not lifting the allotted quota by the States?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ( SHRI SUBHASH MAHARIA )
(a),(b),(c)&(d): Irregularities in procurement are investigated whenever complaints are
received and corrective and penal action is taken against the defaulting officers/officials. The
allotments of wheat and rice to the States is made on the basis of allocations of the Central
Government and their further distribution is the responsibility of the State Governments.
Wheat and rice are allocated to the State Governments/UTs on bi-monthly basis under the
guidelines of TPDS. The lifting of foodgrains by States/UTs under TPDS depends on several
factors, such as parity between the Central Issue Prices and the open market prices,
availability of foodgrains in the open market, release of foodgrains under various welfare
schemes such as SGRY, Special Components of SGRY, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, etc., food habits of
the people in different regions of the country, etc. None of the States/UTs have been able to
fully lift the quantity of foodgrains allotted to them.