**Executive Summary:**
This document addresses concerns regarding adulteration in India's Public Distribution System (PDS) and outlines measures taken by the government to combat it. It details the roles of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and State/UT governments in ensuring food safety and improving PDS efficiency. The document also highlights the integration of digital technology to enhance transparency and reduce leakages within the PDS. The answer was provided in response to questions raised on July 30, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Adulteration Control:**
* FSSAI is responsible for setting food standards and regulating the food industry to ensure safe food for consumers.
* State/UT Food Safety Departments conduct regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection, and sampling to enforce compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
* **PDS Management and Improvement:**
* The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operates under the joint responsibility of the Central and State/UT Governments.
* The Central Government handles procurement, allocation, and transportation of foodgrains up to FCI depots.
* State/UT Governments are responsible for intra-state allocation, beneficiary identification, ration card issuance, and FPS supervision.
* **Technology Integration:**
* Ration card/beneficiary databases have been fully digitized across all States/UTs.
* Transparency portals and online grievance redressal facilities (Toll-free number) are implemented nationwide.
* Online allocation is implemented in all States/UTs except Chandigarh, Puducherry, and urban Dadra Nagar Haveli, which use DBT Cash Transfer.
* Supply chains have been computerized in 31 States/UTs.
* Approximately 5.41 Lakh (99.6%) FPSs are automated with ePoS devices for transparent distribution via Aadhaar authentication.
**Impact Analysis:**
**Stakeholder: Consumers**
* *Impact:* Benefit from improved food safety, reduced PDS leakages, and increased transparency in food distribution through digitization and monitoring.
* *Action Required:* Utilize online grievance redressal mechanisms and participate in biometric Aadhaar authentication at FPSs.
**Stakeholder: State/UT Governments**
* *Impact:* Responsible for intra-state foodgrain allocation, beneficiary identification, ration card issuance, and FPS supervision.
* *Action Required:* Maintain digitized databases, implement transparency portals, computerize supply chains, and ensure FPS automation with ePoS devices.
**Stakeholder: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)**
* *Impact:* Mandated to set food standards and regulate the food industry.
* *Action Required:* Continue to conduct surveillance, monitoring, inspection, and random sampling of food products to ensure compliance with safety standards.
**Stakeholder: Food Corporation of India (FCI)**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the procurement, allocation, and transportation of foodgrains up to its designated depots.
* *Action Required:* Ensure efficient transportation of foodgrains to designated depots.
Key Entities Referenced
Public Distribution System: A government-sponsored chain of shops entrusted with the responsibility of distributing basic food and non-food commodities to the needy sections of the society at very low prices.
DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN: Member of Parliament who raised the unstarred question about adulteration in PDS.
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION: The government ministry responsible for consumer affairs, food, and public distribution in India.
SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA: Minister of State for MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION who provided the answer to the question.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India: An agency of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India that sets science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: An Act to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Targeted Public Distribution System: A system operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and State/UT Governments for distribution of foodgrains.
Food Corporation of India: The agency responsible for procurement, allocation, and transportation of foodgrains up to designated depots.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1781
TO BE ANSWERED ON 30TH JULY, 2025
ADULTERATION IN PDS SYSTEM
1781. DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware about adulteration of food items distributed through
the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has taken measures to check the adulteration in food
distributed through the PDS, if so, the details thereoe
(d) whether the Government has taken steps to improve efficiency, reduce leakages and
reach the maximum number of food items to the people in the PDS and if so, the details
thereof;
(e) the details about the integration of PDS through the digital technology in the urban
areas as well as local areas;
(f) whether the digitization of PDS has brought out the transparency to the people of the
country that are getting benefits from the PDS; and
(g) if so, the details thereon
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)
(a) to (c): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSS AI) is mandated to lay down
science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage,
distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human
consumptron.-2-
Regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of various food
products are conducted throughout the year by the officials of Food Safety Departments of the
respective States/ UTs to check compliance with the quality and safety parameters and other
requirements as laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Regulations made
thereunder.
(d) to (g): Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the joint
responsibility of the Central and the State/UT Governments. Central Governrne]nt is
responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated
depots of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The operational responsibilities for intra.-state
allocation and distribution of foodgrains within the States/UTs, identification of eligible
beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards, supervision and monitoring of the Fair Price Shops
(FPSs) etc. rest with the concerned State/UT Governments.
Further, as part of the technology driven Public Distribution System (PDS) reforms,
with the aim to improve the efficiency and reduce leakages in the PDS, ration
cards/beneficiaries database have been completely digitized (100%) in all States/UTs. The
transparency portal and online grievance redressal facility/Toll-free number have been
implemented in all States/UTs. Also, online allocation has been implemented in all StatesrUTs
(except UTs of Chandigarh, Puducherry and Urban area ofDadra & Nagar Haveli which have
adopted DBT Cash Transfer scheme) and supply chain has been computerized in 31
States/UTs.
Nearly 5.41 Lakh (99.6%) out of total 5.43 Lakh Fair Price Shops (FPSs) in the country
have been automated by installing ePoS devices for the distribution of foodgrains in
a
transparent manner (electronically) through biometric/ Aadhaar authentication of beneficiaries.
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