Page 112 - economic review

AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS84

effectively is a major responsibility of the PDS. Kerala made pioneering achievements in the imple-
mentation of a Universal Rationing System. Approach to the Twelfth Five Year Plan stresses reforms
to plug the leakages in the PDS such as end to end automation of the entire PDS chain, introduction
of GPS tracking, activating vigilance committees and so on across the state.

2.190 Number of ration cardholders in the State reached 83.17 lakh in 2013-14 from 81 lakhs in
2012-13. Similarly number of APL cardholders increased to 62.51 lakh in 2013-14, which was 59.25
lakh in 2012-13. There were 14.81 lakh BPL cardholders and 5.85 lakh Anthyodaya Anna Yojana
(AAY) card holders in 2013-14.

2.191 During 2013-14 rice allotment to APL cardholders was 4.33 lakh MT and BPL card holders
3.19 lakh MT. At the same period rice allotment to AAY card holders was 2.5 lakh MT. Supply price of
rice for APL and BPL from 2012-13 was ` 8.90 and ` 1 respectively and that of wheat is `6.70 for APL
and ` 2 for BPL. Details is given in Appendix 2.93 and details of distribution of rice, wheat, kerosene
and sugar through PDS from 2007-08 to 2013-14 is shown in Appendix 2.94

Food grain at ` 2/kg and ` 1/kg

2.192 Govt. of Kerala approved a scheme for providing food grain @ ` 2/kg to all prescribed special
category of beneficiaries subject to certain conditions in January 2011. All BPL and APL beneficiaries
in the state were provided with rice and wheat @ ` 2/kg in 2012-13. Since 1st September 2011, the
State Govt. has started to implement schemes for issuing rice @ ` 1/kg to all BPL beneficiaries in
the state. Food grain distribution details under PDS for BPL and APL from 1-09-2013 to 31-05-2014
is shown in Appendix 2.95

Anthyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) & Annapoorna Scheme (ANP)

2.193 The scheme is to provide 35 kg of rice per month to the poorest of the poor families under BPL
and is being implemented in the State since 25-12-2001. In 2012-13 also the allotment of rice under
AAY continued at the level of 250260 MT. Govt. of India supplies food grains under AAY to the state
@ ` 3/kg and the State Govt. inturn provides it to the beneficiaries at the subsidized rate of ` 1/kg.

2.194 Annapoorna scheme provides 10kg of rice free of cost per month to destitute of the age of 65
years and above who are not in receipt of any of the pensions from the Govt. There are only 27145
ANP cardholders in the State as on January 2015. Details of distribution of food grains under AAY
and ANP schemes during 2013-14 are given in Appendix 2.96

Central Allotment of Sugar and Kerosene

2.195 Allotment of sugar to Kerala in 2013-14 was 54261 MT and that of Kerosene, 120192 KL.
Allotment of sugar is restricted to BPL/AAY card holders.

Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco)

2.196 Kerala State has one of the best Public Distribution System networks in India. Kerala State
Civil Supplies Corporation being the second line of Public Distribution System is very instrumental
in stabilising the prices of essential commodities in the State. It was set up in 1974 to provide food
security to the State.

2.197 Kerala, being a consumer oriented State, controlling the undue rise in prices is not at all
possible without a powerful public distribution system that intervenes the open market effectively

Kerala State Planning Board