Parliament Question: AI enabled grievance redressal platform

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 368 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2026 Al ENABLED GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL PLATFORM 368 # SHRI SHAMBHU SHAFLAN PATEL: DR. PARMAR JASHVANTSINH SALAMSINH: SHRI NARAYANA KORAGAPPA: SHRI BABUBHAI JESANGBHAI DESAI: SHRI UJJWAL DEORAO NIKAM: SHRI LAIIAR SINGH SIROYA: SHRI BABURAM NISHAD: Will the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution be pleased to state (a): whether the Ministry has established baseline grievance metrics including volume, resolution time and escalation rate, prior to the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA); (b): if so, the details thereof; (c): the manner in which Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Al-based grievance classification and automated escalation to States and Fair Price Shop (FPS) officials have been notified; (d): whether all States and Union Territories have been onboarded onto PM-AASHA; and (e): if so, the details of timelines for complete national integration? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA) (a) to (e): The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare deals with the implementation of Price Support Scheme (PSS) Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) under the integrated Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Anna(iata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA). However, States/UT have an option to choose either PSS or PDPS and MIS for notified oilseeds during the particular Marketing Season in the entire State/UTThe mode of implementation of PSS, PDPS and MIS are as under : - i. Price Support Scheme (PSS) : Government implements Price Support Scheme (PSS) under Pradhan Mantri Anna(iata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra at Minimum Support Scheme (MSP) across the country. PSS is implemented for procuremlent of prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra at Minimum Support Price (MSP) within the stipulated period as and when the market prices of these commodities fall below the notified MSP during peak harvesting period to provide remunerative price to the pre-registered farmers. The procurement of the notified pulses, oilseeds and copra is undertaken by the Central Nodal Agencies (CNAS) directly from the pre-registered farmers through the State level agencies. This scheme is implemented at the request of the concerned State Government which agrees to exempt the procured commodities from levy ofmandi tax and assist central nodal agencies in logistic arrangements, including gunny bags, working capital for state agencies, creation of revolving fund for PSS operations, etc. as required under the scheme guidelines. The overall quantity of procurement by Central Government will be limited to 25% of All India Production of the particular pulses, oilseeds and copra for the particular season. Initially the sanction for procurement under PSS is allowed at 25% of the state estimated production. However, additional quantity under the window of 25% of All India Production of the commodity will be allowed only after the procurement of 25% of state production of the particular commodity by CNAs is exhausted in a given state. The additional quantity based on National Production will be examined and allowed with the approval of Committee of Secretaries (CoS) To encourage domestic production & ensure remunerative prices to farmers, procurement ofTur, Urad and Masur from the pre-registered farmers is undertaken as much as offered by them through the Central Nodal Agencies under Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses till 2030-3 1. ii. Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS): This scheme envisages direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling/modal price to pre-registered farmers selling oilseeds of prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms within the stipulated period in the notified market yard through a transparent auction process. All the payments will be done directly into the bank account of farmers. This scheme does not involve any physical procurement. Under PDPS full compensation of difference between MSP and Sale/Modal price i.e. Price Deficiency. received by farmers upto 15% of MSP value (including 29/, administrative cost) will be borne by Central Government. The support of the central government will be given for quantity upto 40% of state production of the particular oilseed. If any State is willing to cover quantities beyond 40%, the same needs to be funded from the resources of State governments. iii. Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) : To provide remunerative price to the farmers, Governments implements Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), a component under PM-AASHA, for procurement of agricultural and horticultural commodities, which are perishable in nature and are not covered under the Minimum Support Price regime. The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of these commodities from making distress sale in the event of a bumper crop during the peak arrivalperiod when the prices tend to fall below economic levels and the cost of production. The condition is that there should be at least a 10 percent decrease in the ruling market prices over the previous normal year. The scheme is implemented at the request of a State/UT government, which is ready to bear 50 percent of the loss (25 percent in case of North-Eastern States), if any, incurred on its implementation. Government has introduced a new component of Price Differential Payment (PDP) under Market intervention scheme (MIS) from 2024-25 season for direct payment of the price difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the selling price to the farmers of perishable crops. States/UTs have an option to choose either to do physical procurement of the crop or to make the differential payment between the MIP & Sale Price to the farmers. Further, from 2024-25 season, Government added another component under Market intervention scheme for reimbursing the Storage and Transportation cost of TOP crops (Tomato, Onion and Potato) to central nodal agencies & State designated agencies for transporting them from the producing state to consuming states in the interest of the farmers.