Parliament Question: Rationalisation of PDS Quota

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1734 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29Trl JULY, 2026 RATIONALISATION OF PDS QUOTA 1734 SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a) whether rising food subsidy burden has led to rationalisation of PDS quotas and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether fiscal considerations are overriding food security commitments and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the State Governments have sought additional allocation of foodgrains and essential commodities and if so, the details of requests received, approved and rejected during the last three years (d) whether the Government has data on State-wise reduction in PDS allocation of rice and wheat from the year 2023 to 2026 and if so, the details thereof and reasons for disparities among the States (e) whether shortages in pulses, sugar and edible oil under PDS are due to lack of central procurement policies and if so, the details of the measures taken by the Government to include these commodities under strengthened distribution framework; and (f) whether the Government has assessed impact of reduced PDS supply on poor households and nutritional security and if so, the findings and steps taken by the Government to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA) (a) to (b): Government is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) which provides food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food free of cost to people to live a life with dignity. The PMGKAY is being implemented in all the States/UTs aims to supplement the food requirements of upto 75% of the rural and upto 50% of the urban population, which at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore persons. While Antyodaya Anna Yojana (A AY) households, which constitute poorest of the poor are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains, per household per month, Priority Households (PHH) are entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month free of cost. TheCoverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. (c) to (d): Allocation of foodgrains to States/Union Territories (UTs) under the PMGKAY is made on the basis of identification of beneficiaries reported by the States/UTs within the coverage determined for that State/UT and the foodgrains entitlement of beneficiaries prescribed under the National Food Security Act, 2013. The Act further provides that if on the above basis, annual foodgrains allocation to any State/UT is lower than the average annual offtake during 2010-11 to 2012- 13 under erstwhile normal Targeted Public Distribution System, the same shall be protected. As and when requests are received from States/UTs for revision of foodgrains allocation under the Act on account of addition of new beneficiaries, within the ceiling of beneficiaries determined for that State, the same are examined and revised allocation orders are issued as per the extant policy. (e): The Public Distribution System is now governed as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Under the Act, the term “foodgrains” is defined as rice, wheat or coarse grains or any combination thereof conforming to such quality norms as may be determined, by order, by the Central Government from time to time. At present, no proposal for inclusion of more commodities under the scheme is under consideration of the Government. (f): in order to improve the level of nutrition, an advisory has been issued to all the States/UTs to procure millets and distribute them to beneficiaries as per local consumption preferences and as per guidelines issued by the Central Government from time to time. Further, in order to improve the nutritional standards in targeted beneficiaries, the Government has revised the nutritional norms specified in Schedule-11 of the Act, vide notification dated 25.0 1.2023 ##88+