**Executive Summary**
This document, an answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 847 to be answered on February 4th, 2026, addresses the leak-proof delivery of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System (PDS). It outlines government initiatives to enhance the reach, effectiveness, and quality control of foodgrain distribution, particularly focusing on digitization, quality control protocols, and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The annexures provide data on beneficiaries and fund releases, as of the provided dates.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Digitization of PDS:**
* Ration card/beneficiary databases are 100% digitized across all States and Union Territories.
* 99.9% of ration cards and 99.2% of beneficiaries are Aadhaar-seeded.
* E-PoS devices enable beneficiaries to access entitlements using Ration Card or Aadhaar with biometric authentication.
* Initiatives like One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), Mera Ration App, and Anna Sahayata have expanded the reach of food security benefits.
* **Quality Control:**
* The Department has issued a Quality Control Manual to maintain foodgrain quality standards from procurement to distribution.
* The Storage and Research Division undertakes quality control activities for central pool foodgrain stocks, monitoring during procurement, storage, and distribution.
* **Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):**
* TPDS under National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 is jointly managed by Central and State/UT Governments.
* State/UT Governments are responsible for the allocation of foodgrains, identification of beneficiaries, issuance of ration cards, distribution of foodgrains, and supervision of Fair Price Shops (FPS).
* Complaints related to TPDS are forwarded to concerned State/UT Governments for action.
* 30014 complaints related to TPDS were sent to the States/UTs Government from January, 2021 to December, 2025.
* **Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY):**
* The Union Government has a mechanism to distribute food grains under PMGKAY to around 80 Crore beneficiaries through FPSs in all States/UTs.
* Annexure-I contains the statement indicating the State/UT-wise number of beneficiaries covered under PMGKAY.
* Annexure-II contains the detail of funds released to DCP States (including Chhattisgarh) and FCI as food subsidy from FY 2020-21 to the provided date.
* **Decentralized Procurement (DCP):**
* The Department reimburses states that have opted for DCP for distribution of food-grains.
* The difference between Economic Cost and Central Issue Price (CIP) is reimbursed to Food Corporation of India (FCI) and DCP States as food subsidy, based on budgetary allocation.
* The detail of funds released to DCP States (including Chhattisgarh) and FCI as food subsidy from FY 2020-21 to the provided date is at Annexure-II.
**Impact Analysis**
**Key Stakeholders:** Central Government, State/UT Governments, Beneficiaries of PDS, Food Corporation of India (FCI), Fair Price Shop (FPS) Dealers.
**Impact:**
* **Central Government:**
* Affected by the operational requirements for the quality control of food grain distribution programs.
* Oversees the joint management of the TPDS under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
**Action Required:**
* Monitor and enforce the Quality Control Manual uniformly maintain the quality standards of foodgrains.
* Undertake quality control activities for central pool foodgrain stocks.
* **State/UT Governments:**
**Impact:**
* Responsible for managing TPDS within their jurisdiction, including allocation of foodgrains, beneficiary identification, and FPS supervision.
**Action Required:**
* Implement the TPDS within their jurisdictions.
* Address complaints related to TPDS received in the Department.
* **Beneficiaries of PDS:**
**Impact:**
* Affected by the improved leak-proof delivery of foodgrains through digitization.
**Action Required:**
* Utilize e-PoS devices using Ration Card or Aadhaar with biometric authentication for improved foodgrain delivery.
* **Food Corporation of India (FCI) and DCP States:**
**Impact:**
* Affected by the reimbursement process for the difference between Economic Cost and Central Issue Price (CIP) as food subsidy.
**Action Required:**
* N/A
Key Entities Referenced
National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: Act under which the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated jointly by the Central and State/Union Territory (UT) Governments.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Scheme to distribute free food grains to beneficiaries through Fair Price Shops. Subsumed two food subsidy schemes related to FCI and DCP States.
Public Distribution System (PDS): System for distributing foodgrains, subject of leak-proof delivery and database digitization.
Fair Price Shops: Points of sale for beneficiaries under PDS and PMGKAY.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution: The ministry responsible for the administration of PDS and related schemes.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 847
TO BE ANSWERED ON 4TH FEBRUARY, 2026
LEAK PROOF DELIVERY OF FOODGRAINS UNDER THE PDS
847. SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
be pleased to state:
(a): the details of the systemic challenges currently affecting the leak-proof delivery of
foodgrains within the Public Distribution System network including the measures being
undertaken by the Government to address potential gaps in the supply chain;
(b): the details of the specific quality control protocols that are in place to ensure that
foodgrains distributed under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) consistently meet the Fair
Average Quality (FAQ) standards along with the number of complaints/violations have been
recorded by the department for the delivery of substandard quality to the beneficiaries;
(c): the details of the steps taken by the Government to strengthen the monitoring framework
at Fair Price Shops to prevent the distribution of non-standard stocks to beneficiaries; and
(d): the details regarding the reach of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
(PMGKAY) including the total number of beneficiaries and the financial outlay utilized since its
inception in the Country, State/UT-wise, especially in Chhattisgarh?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBH Al BAMBHANIYA)
(a): As part of the Government’s digital initiatives to enhance reach, effectiveness and leak-
proof delivery of foodgrains through Public Distribution System (PDS), the ration card/beneficiary
database has been 100% digitised across all States and Union Territories, with 99.9% ration cards
Aadhaar-seeded and 99.2% beneficiaries aadhaar seeded,
This has enabled beneficiaries to access their full entitlements at Fair Price Shops through e-
PoS devices using their Ration Card Number or Aadhaar Number with biometric authentication.
Further, initiatives such as One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), Mera Ration App and Anna
Sahayata have expanded the reach of food security benefits, thereby improving the effectiveness of
PDS(b) & (c): The Department 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 programmes of OoI.
Further, Storage and Research Division of the Department is also mandated to undertake
quality control activities with respect to the foodgrains stocks meant for central pool and its
monitoring during procurement, storage as well as distribution to the eligible beneficiaries through
various social security programmes. These activities are undertaken on a regular basis.
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under National Food Security Act (NFSA),
2013 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
eligible beneficiaries under of TPDS, issuance of license to Fair Price Shop dealers, the supervision
over and monitoring of functioning of FPSs of etc. rest with the concerned State/UT Governments.
Accordingly, as and when any type of complaints/grievances related to TPDS are received in this
Department from any source, they are sent to concerned State/ UT Governments and Division
Section of the Department for inquiry and appropriate action.
Further, specific complaint cases related to the distribution of substandard wheat are not
maintained or compiled by the Department. Moreover, 30014 complaints/grievances related to
TPDS sent to the States/UTs Government from January, 2021 to December, 2025.
Union Government has laid down a robust mechanism to seamlessly distribute the food
grains under PNIGKAY to around 80 Crore Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
(PMGKAY) beneficiaries through Fair Price Shops in all the State/UTs.
(d): Statement indicating the State/UT-wise number of beneficiaries covered under the Pradhan
Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) during last years and present year in the country is
at Annexure-I:
The Department reimburses the expenditure incurred by States, that have opted for
Decentralized Procurement (DCP) mode (including Chhattisgarh) for distribution of food-grains to
the beneficiaries of Central Schemes as per allocation made by Government of India. The
difference between Economic Cost and Central Issue Price (CIP), at which foodgrains are issued to
States, is reimbursed to Food Corporation of India (FCI) and DCP States as food subsidy. The food
subsidy released to DCP States & FCI is made as per budgetary allocation made by M/o Finance.
State wise funds are not allocated by M/o Finance. Further, funds are also released by FoodCorporation of India (FCI) to the States for the quantum of food-grains handed over to them by
States for Central Pool. The two food subsidy schemes (Food Subsidy to FCI and Food Subsidy to
DCP States) have been subsumed as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The
detail of funds released to DCP States (including Chhattisgarh) and FCI as food subsidy from FY
2020-21 to till date is at Annexure-II
ScSeSc SeqeScAnnexu re-I
The Statement indicating the State/UT-wise number of beneficiaries covered under the PMGKAY
during last years and present year in the country
Actual number of beneficiaries covered (in lakh
SI. No. IStates/ UTs
mmm As on 31.03.2025 As on 31.12.2025
268.22 268.22
mr mR
2 8.44 8.44
3 ms 247.98 247.98
4 mI 871.16 871.16
5 s 200.77 200.77
6 me 72.78 72.78
7 no 5.32 5.32
8 ml 365.84 365.84
9 ma 126.49 126.49
10 I 29.88 29.88
=
B
11 Fharkhand 264.19 264.19
12 FaT;aT 40 1 .93 401.93
--t
1 3 me 154.80 154.80
14 a 534.79 534.79C
15 a 700.17 700.17
16 Ma 20.87 20.87
17 me 21.46 2 1 .46
nz
18 7.05 7.05
19 Rma 14.05 14.05
m(
20 325.17 325.17
21 ml 141.45 141.45
22 EMa 440.0 1 440.0 1
2 3 mc 3.81 3.81
24 a 364.12 364.12
25 He 191 .70 191 .70
26 mr 24.43 24.43
27 a 1498.70 1498.70
[
28 61 .94 61 .94
N7ma
29 601.84 60 1 .84
3 0 mA 0.6 1 0.6 1
31 ml 2,69 2.69
3 2 a 0.22 0.22
33 l D 2.99 2.99
ml in
34 6.34 6.34
3 5 mJ 72.41 72.41
3 6 ma 1.44 1.44
Total 8056.05 8056.05Annexu re-II
The detail of funds released to DCP States (including Chhattisgarh) and FCI as food subsidy from FY
2020-21 to 2025-26 (till date)
S. NoI
FY
12025-26 (as on
2020-2 1 12021- 22 12022-23 12023-24 12024-25 130.01.2026)
ASsam'a 9.36
HI
') 4117.33 767 1 .90 1 0966. 1 0 6557.64 9725.40 7393.98
3 nii=- 1 76 1 .53 2047.53 1 202.49 2064.56 2572.72 1816.19
+ IMddhya Pradesh 11946.44 14420.62 9471 .50 16939.27 1 0 1 89.04 7278.91
Andhra Pradesh
8424.72 9323.38 6635.97 6268.19 8398.98 4702.22
I'elangana 6879.59 7665.02 5242.76 5367.07 4178.27 2822.66
ITT
7 9.09 119.92
8
IWest Bengal 8792.03 5+2 1 .3+ 6580. 11 8899.88 11704.98
9 l 7193.13 9047.77 7574.81 5236.13 5695.55 2083.64
10 l 1371.33 1554.43 1212.25 724.39 1159.26 80.75
11 I
c7 47.38
12 Tamil Nadu 3 1 09.76 6250.93 8685.95 7072.53 6033.90 562 1 .05
1 3 FiFa; 8985.73 7892.69 7600.05 14473.68 9948.83 6140.07
14 ma 323.99 1682.12 2191.75 1 222.13 1281.18 935.79
15 TliG==i 9.24 749.43 311.54 267.83 138.87
16 ml 1214.98 1777.86 1544.89 1151.85 1 062.36 555.65
17
IMaharashtra 2555.74 4082.07 2725.75 3923.29 327.74 1458.49
18 Ml 3.66 42.77 502.99 409.3
19 -Fripura 29.79 15.58 148.67 106.5 1 64.26
20 rE 1 82.78 1 86.87 1 87.9 267.6 22 1 .95 243.45
21 IBT) 53376.41
S. No. 1 to 20 78337 II 79789.5+ 1 72282.49 171733.36 1 70410.27
13966 1 .0
IFCI
22 462789.001 208929.ool200219.201 3 1 29089.40 109148.00
Total (States+DB'F+ 1 1 1
IFCI)
23 1211394.3
+22 9
S. No. 2 1 15 41 1 26.77 12887 18.541272501.691 1 1 99499.671 1 62524.41
From April, 2020 to December 2022 under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyaan Anna Yojana
(PMIGKAY), 5Kg per month per person free of cost food grain was distributed to all AAY and
PHH beneficiaries.
8 Under DB-1- scheme, w.e.f. 2015-16 subsidy is released to UTs of Chdndigarh. Puducherr)'. and
Dadra & Naqar Haveti
##Uttar Pradesh has adopted non-DCP mode of procurement. no subsidy for \\r'heat & rice is being
released by Dl-'PD. However. Govt of Uttar Pradesh has released food subsidy for distribution of
coarse £!rdlns.
@ Assam is a DCP State for only 2 districts and has adopted DCP mode since 2023-24.
(a;e7Hilnachdl Pradesh is a DC P State since 2022-23