LOK SABHA
COVERAGE UNDER AAY
562. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that a large number of people were left out of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY);
(b) if so, the details of procedure for automatic inclusion, State-wise and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the detais of landless agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans, urban slum dwellers, informal sector workers and households headed by elderly, disabled or widows and particularly vulnerable tribal groups that are covered under AAY, State/UTwise?
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a): Before the advent of National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) was formulated by the Government to provide highly subsidized foodgrains to about 2.5 Crore poorest of poor households in the country through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) every month.
Later, under NFSA, the AAY was adopted as one of its categories for continued benefit of highly subsidized foodgrains to 2.5 Crore poorest-of poor households, besides the Priority Households (PHH) category beneficiaries.
Presently, against the ceiling of 2.5 Crore AAY families under NFSA, about 2.38 Crore AAY families i.e. about 9.00 Crore persons are covered by the States/UTs in the country.
(b): As per the provisions of NFSA, inter-al a, the identification of eligible households under AAY and issuance of ration cards to them is done by the respective State/UT Governments through their own procedures, criteria and norms, up to the maximum ceiling limit of AAY households for each State/UT provided by the Act.
(c): The minimum suggestive guidelnes to States/UTs for inclusion of eligible households under the AAY include households comprising landless agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans/craftsmen such as potters, tanners, weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, slum dwellers and those earning their livel hood on daily basis in the informal sector like porters, coolies, rickshaw pullers, hand cart pullers, rag-pickers, destitutes, and other similar categories, households headed by elderly or disabled or widows or terminally ill persons, disabled persons/ persons aged 60 years and above I other vulnerable and tribal/primitive households, etc. in the country for obtaining highly subsidized foodgrains on monthly basis. A statement showing State/UT wise number of AAY householdsis annexed.
Annexure
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 562 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 20.07.2022 IN THE LOK SABHA.
Number of households covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana under the National Food Security Act, 2013………………….. Click here read more.