Food Ministry denies loss of huge amount due to leakage of PDS food grains

20-Nov-2024 04:36 PM

The Union Food Ministry has rejected a recent report that claimed there is an annual leakage or diversion of around 200 tonnes of rice and wheat under the Public Distribution System (PDS), valued at Rs 69,000 crore.

The Ministry described the report's figures as misleading and incorrect, particularly the method used to calculate the leakage.

The organization that published the report linked the supposed leakage to the monthly lifting of food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (Free Ration Scheme), based on data from the 2022-23 Household Expenditure Survey.

This survey included information about the consumption of grains from various sources, such as state-run schemes and private purchases, which the Ministry argues are unrelated to PDS lifting.

The Ministry clarified that food grains distributed under its schemes are allocated specifically for welfare programs.

It emphasized that state governments may procure grains independently for their own initiatives, and any leakage in those cases cannot be attributed to PDS stocks.

Additionally, the Ministry pointed out that the figures for food grains lifted by the government relate to stock in transit, buffer stock, operational reserves, and allocations for other welfare programs, and should not be confused with PDS stocks meant for direct distribution to consumers.