An evaluation study on functioning of
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in six selected States namely,
Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal was
awarded to the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in March
2014 and final report was accepted in the Department in November, 2015. Based
on 2011 census and the family size estimates projected over 2015, the study has
estimated the number of excess ration cards made in the six target States as
per details given below:
State
|
Excess cards
issued
(in lakh)
|
Assam
|
-
|
Bihar
|
33.92
|
Chhattisgarh
|
10.84
|
Karnataka
|
2.15
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
98.39
|
West Bengal
|
19.39
|
This information was given by the
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas
Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
The Minister said that detection and
deletion of fake cards does not mean reduction in allocation and savings in
subsidy but results in selection of deserving beneficiaries and issuance of
ration cards to them leading to better targeting of subsidy.
He said that with an aim to strengthen
the TPDS and to curb diversion/leakage, a Nine Point Action Plan was evolved in
July 2006 and forwarded to State/UT Governments for implementation by them.
The various points of action included undertaking of campaign by State
Governments for review of Below Poverty Line (BPL) / Antyodaya Anna Yojana
(AAY) lists, to eliminate ghost ration cards.
He added that further, in terms of the
PDS (Control) Order, 2001, dated 31.08.2001, State/UT Governments are to review
the lists of BPL and AAY families every year for the purpose of deletion of
ineligible families and inclusion of eligible families. The exercise of
deletion of bogus/ineligible cards and inclusion of eligible families is a
continuous process and State Governments are to periodically carry out the
same. The TPDS (Control) Order, 2015 notified on 20.03.2015 also calls for all
the necessary action to be taken by State/UT Governments for review of list of
beneficiaries and deletion of bogus /ineligible ration cards.
The Minister said that as a result of
implementation of Nine Point Action Plan since July 2006, 30 State/UT
Governments have reported up to 30.06.2015, deletion of 494.50 lakhs bogus /
ineligible ration cards.
He said that in a continuous endeavour
to strengthen and streamline TPDS, the Government has initiated implementation
of a plan scheme on ‘End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations’ during the
12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) to ensure transparency and check leakages in the
TPDS system. Under the scheme, financial assistance is being provided to
States/UTs on cost sharing basis. The cost is being shared on 90:10 basis with
North East States and on 50:50 basis with other States/UTs. Under this scheme,
as per reports received, as on 31.10.2015, ration card data digitization has
been done in 29 States/UTs, ration card data is available on Web Portal in 27
States/UTs, Online allocation is being done in 16 States/UTs, supply-chain
management in 8 States/UTs, Transparency Portal set up in 27 States/UTs, online
Grievance Redressal Mechanism in 26 and toll free helpline number has been set
up in 32 States/UTs.
He added that as part of beneficiary
data digitization, States/UTs have been requested to seed the Aadhaar numbers
wherever available so as to weed out the ineligible/bogus/duplicate
beneficiaries. As part of Fair Price Shop (FPS) automation at FPS, use of
Aadhaar will ensure proper identification of beneficiaries and distribution of
foodgrains only to the intended beneficiaries thereby reducing leakage /
diversion, etc.
To curb leakages further, under the
National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) inter alia, States/UTs have been asked
to either do cash transfer of food subsidy under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
or install electronic Point of Sale Device (ePoS) at the FPSs.
The number of bogus/ineligible rations
cards deleted by the State/UT for the last three years and current year
S. No.
|
STATE/UT
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
Total
|
1
|
Andhra
Pradesh $
|
191699
|
|
|
|
191699
|
2
|
Arunachal
Pradesh
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
3
|
Assam
|
86346
|
50204
|
6483
|
|
143033
|
4
|
Bihar
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
5
|
Chhattisgarh
|
|
|
94209
|
|
94209
|
6
|
Delhi
|
57680
|
|
|
|
57680
|
7
|
Gujarat#
|
407
|
0
|
0
|
|
407
|
8
|
Haryana
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
9
|
Himachal
Pradesh
|
235
|
|
|
|
235
|
10
|
Jammu
& Kashmir
|
3794
|
|
|
|
3794
|
11
|
Jharkand
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
12
|
Karnataka
|
3300000
|
1977836
|
|
|
5277836
|
13
|
Kerala
|
|
279
|
|
|
279
|
14
|
Madhya
Pradesh
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
15
|
Maharashtra
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
0
|
16
|
Meghalaya
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
17
|
Mizoram
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
18
|
Nagaland
|
13310
|
|
|
|
13310
|
19
|
Orissa
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
20
|
Punjab
|
0
|
7982
|
|
|
7982
|
21
|
Rajasthan
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
22
|
Sikkim
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
23
|
Tamilnadu
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
24
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
19413
|
|
|
|
19413
|
25
|
Uttarakhand
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
26
|
West
Bengal
|
3966906
|
2276085
|
|
|
6242991
|
27
|
A&N
Islands
|
8923
|
1340
|
|
|
10263
|
28
|
Chandigarh
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
29
|
Lakshdweep
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
30
|
Puducherry
|
47
|
17381
|
161
|
9370
|
26959
|
|
Total
|
7648760
|
4331107
|
100853
|
9370
|
120,90,090
|
# Information
upto May, 2014.
|
|
|
|
|
$
Including State of Telangana
|
****
NCJ/NN