(a) whether the Government proposes to set up national food grid for the people who fall outside the PDS;
(b) if so, details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has extended the free food distribution under PMGKAY and whether Govt. proposes for nationwide door step food grain supply under PDS;
(d) if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Government proposes to allot flour in place of wheat in PDS; and
(f) if so, the details thereof?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) and (b): The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, which is implemented all over the country provides for the coverage of about 81.35 Crore eligible persons with the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH). The inclusion of such beneficiaries under NFSA is done by identifying persons who are out of the ambit of NFSA, subject to coverage limit of every State/UT. All States/UTs have been advised to fully utilized the respective NFSA coverage limits by identifying and including eligible beneficiaries who are outside the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
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(c) and (d): In pursuance of the pro-people announcement made by Hon''ble Prime Minister as part of the Economic Response to COVID -19, PMGKAY was extended during the period from July 2021 to November 2021. Now the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has been extended for a period of another 4 months i.e. December, 2021 to March, 2022 @ 5 kg per person per month free of cost to all the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [AAY & PHH] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
(e) and (f): As per the provisions of NFSA 2013, the State Government may provide to the persons belonging to the eligible households, wheat flour in lieu of the entitled quantity of foodgrains in accordance with such guidelines as may be specified by the Central Government.
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