To facilitate elderly, persons with disabilities, and others, Centre directs States/UT’s for special dispensation to beneficiaries

As per provisions of National Food Security Act, 2013 the entitlements of the persons belonging to the eligible households at subsidized prices shall extend upto seventy five percent of the rural population and up to fifty percent of the urban population. This Department is allocating food grains to States/UTs for distribution through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) to around 80 crore beneficiaries/households covered under NFSA under the two categories (a) Antyodaya Anna Yojanna (AAY) and (b) Priority Households (PHH).

Keeping in view that some of the beneficiaries may experience difficulty in getting their entitled food grains because of their inability to visit the Fair Price Shop (FPS) themselves for reasons such as old age (above 65 years), physical disability etc., this department has issued advisory in February, 2018 to all the States/UTs including Chattisgarh for special dispensation to such beneficiaries through any of the two approaches:-

(i) Home delivery of the entitled quota of food grains;

(ii) Delivery through authorized nominees of such beneficiaries.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Ms.Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in the Lok Sabha in a written reply today.