Parliament Question: SMART-PDS

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4518 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20TH AUGUST, 2025 SMART-PDS 4518 SHRI BALRAM NAIKPORIKA: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a) the details of major initiatives and schemes undertaken by the Ministry over the last five years to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of essential commodities for consumers across the country; (b) the progress and impact of the Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System (SMART-PDS) and its nationwide rollout status including the expected timeline for full deployment; (c) the data on the procurement offoodgrains under Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations and the number of farmers benefited during the last three years, year-wise; and (d) the steps taken by the Government to improve transparency, efficiency and grievance redressal mechanisms within the Public Distribution System (PDS) including the implementation of the 'One Nation One Ration Card' scheme? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA) (a): The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) 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 (AAY) 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. The Coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. At present, against the intended coverage of 81.35 crore, 80.56 crore beneficiaries are receiving foodgrains free of cost.-2- The Central Government, in order to remove the financial burden of the poor beneficiaries and to ensure nationwide uniformity and effective implementation of the programme for support of the poor, had decided to provide food grains free of cost to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (A AY) households and Priority Households (PUN) beneficiaries, beginning from lst January 2023 under the NFSA. The period for distribution of free of cost foodgrains has been extended for five years from lst January, 2024, with an estimated financial outlay of Rs. 11.80 lakh crore totally to be borne by Central Government. Government of India also sells surplus food grains (Wheat & Rice), beyond the public Distribution System (PDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) requirements, through open sale under Open Market Sales Scheme (Domestic) {OMMSS(D)}. This helps increase the availability of foodgrains in the market, control inflation, ensure food security and make foodgrains more affordable for the general population. In addition, Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice were launched on 06.11.2023 and 06.02.2024, respectively, with a view to provide atta (wheat flour) and rice to general consumers at subsidized rates under OMISS(D) policy. (b): The Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System (SMART-PDS) Scheme envisages to strengthen the technology infrastructure in Public Distribution System (PDS) to lead the technology driven reforms and transformative change in the entire PDS ecosystem covering NFSA and State schemes. Thus, SMART-PDS is launched to sustain the Information Technology-led Reforms to be brought in the functioning of PDS Operations by overcoming the state level technological limitations of PDS operations in all States/UTs in respect of IT Hardware, Software and to institutionalize an integrated Central System covering all PDS related operations across all States/UTs. Under the Scheme, four modules viz. (i) Food Grains Procurement, (ii) Supply Chain Management/ Allocation of Grains, (iii) Ration Cards Management System & Fair Price Shop Management and (iv) Biometric Based Grains Distribution Module (eKYC) are being developed and to be implemented in phases. At present, the SMART-PDS is in development phase and the application is expected to be launched in phases by December 2025. (c): The information relating to procurement of wheat and paddy for the last three years and current year is at Annexure-l. A statement showing Procurement of coarse grains is Annexure-II and a statement showing number of farmers benefited for coarse grains in last three-years is at Annexu re-III (d): Under Public Distribution System (PDS) reforms, ration cards/beneficiaries database have been completely (100%) digitized in all States/UTs, transparency portal and online grievance redressal facility/Toll-free number have been implemented in all States/UTs. Further online allocation has been implemented in all States/UTs (except UTs of Chandigarh, Puducherry and urban areas of Dadra & Nagar Haveli which have adopted DBT Cash Transfer scheme) and supply chain has been computerized in 31 States/UTs. Presently, 99.8% ration cards are seeded with Aadhaar number at national level and almost all FPSs have been automated by installation of e- PoS devices for the distribution of food-grains in a transparent manner (electronically) through biometric /Aadhaar authentication of NFSA beneficiaries. Further, One Nation One Ration Card-3- (ONORC) for portability of Ration Cards is implemented in all 36 States/UTs, across the country, covering 100% NFSA beneficiaries. Helpline number 1967/1800-State series number is operational in all the States/ UTs for contacting and redressal of the complaints in Public Distribution System and filing any type of complaints by the intended beneficiaries. As and when complaints, including corruption and embezzlement in the PDS, are received in this Department from any source, they are sent to State/ UT Governments concerned for inquiry and appropriate action Se gcSeS: SeAnnexure-I Statement showing procurement of wheat and paddy for the last three years and current year Paddy Procurement, MSP value and Farmers Benefitted data Number of Proc. of Paddy (in Value at MSP (Rs Farmers LMT) Ln crore) Benefitted 2021-22 857.30 168031.12 12679650 2022-23 808.45 166540.91 12497077 2023-24 782.25 172329.35 10658233 2024-25 811.05 188 162.89 11 4984 13 to 11.08.2025 Wheat Procurement, MSP value and Farmers Benefitted data Proc. of wheat (in Value at MSP (Rs Number of LMT) in crore) Farmers Benefitted 2022-23 187.92 37866.13 1783192 2023-24 261.97 55668.53 2134458 2024-25 266.05 60526.80 2248725 2025-26 300.35 72834.15 2513143Annexu re-II STATEMENT SHOWING PROCUREMENT OF COARSEGRAINS (Position as on- 04.08.2025) MSP KMS I COMMODITY A.P. GUJ I HAR 1 KAR M.P. MAH. U.P Odisha } U.I<hand TN T PO RT OA CL MSP Value (Rs./qtt) (in (MT) crore) JOWAR(Kharif) 103920 32393 20262 0 156575 2738 428.70 iOWAR(Rabi) 0 0 0 0 0 2738 0.00 BAJRA 7284 0 5400 567 0 13251 2250 29.81 2021-22 MAIZE{Kha rif) 389 0 0 19615 2763 22767 1870 42.57 MAIZE(Rabi) 0 0 0 0 0 1870 0.00 RAG I 404784 0 253 0 32302 437339 3377 1476.89 Total 7673 508703 37793 40697 2763 32302 629931 0.00 JOWAR 0 76897 258 1378 0 78533 2970 233.24 I O I O 1 iOWAR(Rabi) 3621 685 [ 0 :2358 0 6664 2970 19.79 BAI RA 766 81147 0-L 0 10 43437 125360 2350 294.60 BAJRA(Rabi) 56645 0 0 0 0 56645 2350 133.12 2022-23 MAIZE 0 0 0 48 0 48 1962 0.10 MAIZE(Rabi) 197 0 0 12877 0 13074 1962 25.65 RAG I 4 0 454404 0 636 0 1186 515 456745 3578 1634.23 Total 3625 58293 81147 531301 258 17308 43437 1186 515 737069 0.00 1 JOWAR 24466 85402 462 13340 123670 3180 393.27 JOWAFI(Rabi) 4903 2946 105019 86624.9 199493 3180 634.39 BAIRA 33359 231334 355038 619731 2500 1549.33 2023-24 }AJRA(Rabi) 76726.45 76726 2500 191.82 MAIZE 25 4451 4476 2090 9.35 MAIZE(Rabi) 56 56 2090 0.12 RAG I 376 0.75 226576 189 0.7 1889 1889 230920 3846 888.12 Total 29745 113032.2 231334 416997 87357 372830 1889 1889 1255073 0.00 JOWAR 27 115351 908 937 46942 164165 T–3 –371 –[ 553.40 35402 5300 78676 59534 178912 r 0.00 BNRA 3818 156000 101311 261129 2625 685.46 BAJRA(Rabi) 82223 82223 0.00 2024- MAIZE 1 1 2225 0.00 25+ MAIZE(Rabi) 118 51 19312 19481 0.00 RAG I 205 5 346079 233 40000 3139 3662 393323 1 44229900 1 1687.36 RAGI (Rabi) 902 902 o 9 0 908 60756 167565 40000 3139 3662 1100136 0.00 *2024-25 procurement is still goingon (procurement till 04.08.2025)Annexu re-III Statement showing number of farmers benefited for coarse grains in last three-years Number of Farmers benefited for coarse grains (as on 30.o6.2025) I KMS I Commodity Gujarat Karnata k M.P. Maharashtra I Odisha U.P Tamil Uttrakhan I Andhra a nadu I Haryana d 1 Pradesh 2021-22 Jowar 23,331 7,870 10,161 Baj ra 3,063 1,467 480 Maize 148 704 Ragi 2,67,076 41,286 Total 3,211 2.90,407 9,337 41,286 704 2022-23 Jowar 223 16,873 72 481 538 Baj ra 12081 4 8532 27,919 Maize 31 12 Ragi 0 3,04,537 786 332 4,860 4 Total 12335 3,21,410 72 8.532 332 27,919 4,860 542 2023-24 Jowar 728 10,819 2,787 Bajra 22,030 66,903 1.32,228 Maize 908 Rag i 1 1,10,808 1,055 7.457 Total 22759 1,21,627 70,598 1.055 1,32, 228 2024- Jowar 600 17,000 8,000 25++ Baj ra 8,630 70,000 90,000 Maize 100 10,000 Ragi 5 220 9,600 7,500 Total 2 2,470 88,000 90,000 7,500 Note- Information as provided by State governments in their procurement proposals. #The total farmers likely to be benefitted during KMS 2024-25(Kharif & Rabi) is 24380 including 15000 farmers for Rabi crop for which crop-wise break up of farmers benefited data has not been provided by Gujarat. ** The number of likely farmers to be benefitted during KMS 2024-25(kharif crop) and KMS 2024-25 (Rabi) as per the procurement plan submitted by the State Government .