**Executive Summary**
This document answers Unstarred Question No. 1777 in Lok Sabha on December 10th, 2025, regarding complaints about the ration provided under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution outlines the steps taken to address issues like poor quality, insect infestation, and irregularities in the Public Distribution System (PDS). It also details efforts to eliminate duplicate ration cards and fake beneficiaries, with a focus on data analytics and action by State/UT Governments.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **NFSA and TPDS Operation:**
* The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operates under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) of 2013.
* Responsibility is jointly shared between Central and State/Union Territory (UT) governments.
* Operational responsibilities (allocation of foodgrains, identification of beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards, distribution, licenses, monitoring FPSs) rest with the State/UT Governments.
* **Complaints and Quality Control:**
* No complaints of poor quality or insect infestation reported under NFSA.
* The Government has issued a Quality Control Manual to maintain foodgrain standards.
* Grievances are sent to State/UT Governments for inquiry and action.
* Government has taken remedial measures to tackle complaints of less weight of ration.
* **Ration Card and Beneficiary Verification:**
* During 2024-25, a data analytics exercise flagged approximately 8.51 Crore beneficiaries.
* KPIs included age, silent cards, duplicates, and single-member cards.
* Cross-matching with data sets of other Ministries was done (Aadhaar, CBDT, MoRTH, CBIC).
* Flagged lists were shared with States/UTs for field verification and action.
* States/UTs have deleted 2.12 Crore beneficiaries, creating space for eligible waitlisted ones.
* **Corruption and Penalties:**
* The Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015 specifies that any contravention of the rules results in penalties.
* State/UT Governments are empowered to take punitive action under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
**Impact Analysis**
**State/UT Governments**
* **Impact:**
* Responsible for the operational aspects of TPDS, including identifying beneficiaries, allocating foodgrains, and supervising Fair Price Shops (FPSs).
* Required to investigate and address PDS-related grievances.
* Required to conduct field verification of flagged beneficiaries and take necessary action.
* Empowered to take punitive action against violations of the TPDS Control Order, 2015.
* **Action Required:**
* Maintain the quality standards of foodgrains through the Quality Control Manual.
* Investigate and address grievances related to PDS.
* Conduct field verification of flagged beneficiaries and take appropriate action.
* Take punitive action against violations of the TPDS Control Order, 2015.
**Eligible Beneficiaries**
* **Impact:**
* Ensuring the correct distribution of foodgrains to the eligible beneficiaries under TPDS.
* Waitlisted beneficiaries may benefit from the removal of ineligible beneficiaries, potentially gaining access to the program.
* **Action Required:**
* None specified in the document
Key Entities Referenced
National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: Governs the distribution of ration and is the basis for addressing complaints related to ration quality and distribution.
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS): The scheme under which foodgrains are distributed to eligible beneficiaries, operating under the NFSA, 2013.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution: The central ministry responsible for answering the questions related to the NFSA and TPDS.
Essential Commodities Act, 1955: The law that empowers State/UT Governments to take action against violations of the TPDS (Control) Order, 2015.
Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015: Order that regulates the TPDS, with violations subject to punishment under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
ORIGINAL IN HINDI
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1777
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025
COMPLAINTS OF RATION PROVIDED UNDER NFSA
t 1777. SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be
pleased to state:
(a) whether the complaints regarding less quantity, poor quality, insect infestation, etc. in the
ration provided under the National Food Security Act (NFS A) have been received from several
States;
(b) if so, the steps taken by the Government to ensure transparency and accountability in the
distribution of food grains;
(c) the details of progress made in checking duplication of ration cards and fake beneficiaries
occurring even after the implementation of the digital ration distribution system;
(d) whether the Government has zero tolerance policy on corruption and irregularities in PDS
shops; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)
(a) to (b): The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is governed under National Food
Security Act (NFS A), 2013 and it is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the
State/Union Territory (UT) governments. The operational responsibilities for allocation of
foodgrains within the States/ UTs, identification of eligible beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards to
them, distribution of foodgrains to the eligible beneficiaries under TPDS, issuance of license to the
Fair Price Shop dealers, supervision over and monitoring of functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs)
etc. rest with the concerned State/UT Governments.
No complaints regarding poor quality, insect infestation etc. in the ration provided under
NFS A has been received from the States/ UTs. The Government has formulated and issued a
Quality Control Manual, to uniformly maintain the quality standards of foodgrains from
procurement to its distribution to the eligible beneficiaries through various social security
programs of Government of India. However, as and when grievances related other issues of PDS
are received7 they are sent to the State/UT Governments concerned for inquiry and appropriate
action. Further9 the Government has taken strong remedial measures to tackle the complaints ofdelivery of less weight of ration by the dealers. These include the integration of the e-PoS device
with the weighing scale at the fair price shops in case of less than the entitled quantities of
foodgrains being weighed in the weighing scale at the FPS, the transactions for such occurrences
would not be completed.
(c): During 2024–25, the Government undertook a comprehensive data analytics exercise
wherein multiple Key Performance Indicators (KPls) – such as beneficiaries aged over 100 years,
silent ration cards, duplicate ration cards and beneficiaries below 18 years with single member
ration cards – were applied to the PDS database. This database was also cross-matched with data
sets of other Ministries [Aadhaar, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Road
Transport & Highways (MoRTll), Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Central Board of Indirect
Taxes &Customs (CBIC)]. This exercise flagged approximate 8.51 Crore beneficiaries (2024 to
2025) and list of these flagged beneficiaries were shared with the respective States/UTs for
conducting field verification and to take necessary action as deemed fit on these cases. Till date, the
respective States/UTs have deleted 2.12 Crore beneficiaries of the above flagged beneficiaries, thus
making space for eligible waitlisted beneficiaries.
(d) to (e): if any person contravenes any of the provisions of the Targeted Public Distribution
System (Control) Order, 2015, he/ she shall be liable to punishment under Section 7 of the
Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Thus, the Order empowers State/UT Governments to take
punitive action in case of contravention of relevant provisions of these Orders.
ScSeSc SeEk