-Press Information Bureau
In order to make the Targeted Public Distribution
System (TPDS) more focused and targeted at the poorest of the poor,
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 in all
States/UTs for one crore families to be identified from the Below
Poverty Line (BPL) families. Coverage under this scheme has been
expanded thrice since then i.e. during 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06
covering additional 50 lakh households each time. Thus the total
coverage under AAY was raised to 2.50 crore AAY families. The
identification of AAY families within the target of AAY families
allocated to each State/UT is the responsibility of concerned State/UT
Government. Against the accepted number of 2.50 crore AAY families given
to State/UT Governments, upto March, 2013, they have reported issuance
of AAY ration cards to 2.43 crore AAY families. Allocation of
foodgrains (rice & wheat) to these AAY families is made @ 35 kg per
family per month at a highly subsidized Central Issue Price (CIP) of
Rs.2 per kg for wheat and Rs.3 per kg for rice. This information was
given by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution,
Prof. K.V. Thomas in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Minister said that requests have been received from State Governments
and others for coverage of additional families under AAY and allocation
of foodgrains to them in States such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,
Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. As the State Governments are required to
identify AAY families within the ceiling of number of AAY families
allocated to each State, the requests for coverage of additional
families under AAY beyond the targeted number could not be acceded to.
States/Union Territories (Uts) are also advised from time to time to
review the existing list of AAY beneficiaries and remove the ineligible
beneficiaries so as to include only the most eligible.
Prof. Thomas said that there have been complaints about
irregularities in the functioning of the TPDS including irregularities
in distribution of foodgrains to BPL/AAY categories in some
States/regions in the country. TPDS is operated under the joint
responsibility of the Central and the State/Union Territory (UT)
Governments wherein the operational responsibilities for implementation
of TPDS within the State/UT rest with the concerned State/UT
Governments. Therefore, as and when complaints are received by the
Government form individuals and organizations as well as through press
reports, these are referred to the State/UT Governments concerned for
inquiry and appropriate action.
Strengthening and streamlining of TPDS is a continuous process.
Government has regularly reviewed and has issued instructions to
States/UTs to strengthen functioning of TPDS by improving monitoring
mechanism and vigilance, increased transparency in functioning of TPDS,
adoption of revised Model Citizen’s Charter, use of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) tools and improving the viability of Fair
Price Shop operations.
System (TPDS) more focused and targeted at the poorest of the poor,
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 in all
States/UTs for one crore families to be identified from the Below
Poverty Line (BPL) families. Coverage under this scheme has been
expanded thrice since then i.e. during 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06
covering additional 50 lakh households each time. Thus the total
coverage under AAY was raised to 2.50 crore AAY families. The
identification of AAY families within the target of AAY families
allocated to each State/UT is the responsibility of concerned State/UT
Government. Against the accepted number of 2.50 crore AAY families given
to State/UT Governments, upto March, 2013, they have reported issuance
of AAY ration cards to 2.43 crore AAY families. Allocation of
foodgrains (rice & wheat) to these AAY families is made @ 35 kg per
family per month at a highly subsidized Central Issue Price (CIP) of
Rs.2 per kg for wheat and Rs.3 per kg for rice. This information was
given by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution,
Prof. K.V. Thomas in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Minister said that requests have been received from State Governments
and others for coverage of additional families under AAY and allocation
of foodgrains to them in States such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,
Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. As the State Governments are required to
identify AAY families within the ceiling of number of AAY families
allocated to each State, the requests for coverage of additional
families under AAY beyond the targeted number could not be acceded to.
States/Union Territories (Uts) are also advised from time to time to
review the existing list of AAY beneficiaries and remove the ineligible
beneficiaries so as to include only the most eligible.
Prof. Thomas said that there have been complaints about
irregularities in the functioning of the TPDS including irregularities
in distribution of foodgrains to BPL/AAY categories in some
States/regions in the country. TPDS is operated under the joint
responsibility of the Central and the State/Union Territory (UT)
Governments wherein the operational responsibilities for implementation
of TPDS within the State/UT rest with the concerned State/UT
Governments. Therefore, as and when complaints are received by the
Government form individuals and organizations as well as through press
reports, these are referred to the State/UT Governments concerned for
inquiry and appropriate action.
Strengthening and streamlining of TPDS is a continuous process.
Government has regularly reviewed and has issued instructions to
States/UTs to strengthen functioning of TPDS by improving monitoring
mechanism and vigilance, increased transparency in functioning of TPDS,
adoption of revised Model Citizen’s Charter, use of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) tools and improving the viability of Fair
Price Shop operations.
-Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution