ri lt re and ood ana ement 8.49
Public Distribution by end-December 2013. (v) The Act provisions state and district level
India’s most ambitious and world’s largest social redressal mechanism with designated
welfare programme provides legal right to about 82 officers. The states will be allowed to
crore people for subsidised foodgrains—a historic use the existing machinery for District
initiative towards ensuring food and nutritional Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO),
security. Major highlights of the programme are State Food Commission, if they so desire,
as given below: to save expenditure on establishment of
new redressal set up. It also provides for
(i) It will cover upto 75 per cent rural and
penalty on public servants or authority, if
50 per cent urban population (around
found guilty of failing to comply with the
two thirds of the total popultion) with relief recommended by the DGRO.
uniform entitlement of 5 kg foodgrains
(vi) Provisions have also been made
per month at highly subsidised prices
for disclosure of records relating to
of Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Rs. 1 per kg for rice,
PDS, social audits and setting up of
wheat and coarse grains, respectively. The
Vigilance Committees in order to ensure
poorest of poor households continue to transparency and accountability.
receive 35 kg foodgrains per household
The work of identification of eligible
per month under the Antyodaya Anna
households is left to the states/UTs, which may
Yojna at the same subsidised prices.
frame their own criteria or use Social Economic
(ii) It provisions for special focus on nutritional and Caste Census (SECC) data, if they so desire.
support to women and children—pregnant The central government will provide funds to
women and lactating mothers, besides states/UTs in case of short supply of food grains
being entitled to nutritious meals as per from the central pool. In case of non-supply
the prescribed nutritional norms will also of food grains or meals to entitled persons, the
receive maternity benefit of at least of concerned state/UT governments will be required
Rs. 6,000. Children in the age group of to provide such food security allowance as may
6 months to 14 years will be entitled to be prescribed by the central government to the
take home ration or hot cooked food as beneficiaries. In order to address the concern of the
per prescribed nutritional norms. states regarding additional financial burden, The
(iii) Eldest woman of eighteen years of age or central government will provide assistance to the
above will be head of the household for states towards cost of intra-state transportation,
issue of ration card, and if not available, handling of foodgrains and FPS dealers’ margin,
the eldest male member is to be the head for which norms will be developed. This will ensure
of the household. timely transportation and efficient handling of
(iv) For effective implementation, the Act foodgrains.
also contains provisions for reforms While enacting the Act, the Ministry
in PDS through doorstep delivery of estimated an annual foodgrains requirement of
foodgrains, application of information 61.23 MT, which will accrue estimated food
and communication technology (ICT) subsidy of Rs.1,24,724 crore. Meanwhile, a High
including end-to-end computerisation, Level Committee (headed by Shanta Kumar), by
leveraging ‘Aadhaar’ for identification early 2015, suggested the Government of India
of beneficiaries, diversification of to revise the covergare population under the Act
commodities under TPDS, etc. from 67 to 40 per cent. The recommendation was