Uttar Pradesh Ends District Wise Food Quota Under NFSA

Uttar Pradesh Ends District Wise Food Quota Under NFSA: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to stop using the district-wise quota system for giving food benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. Earlier, each district had a fixed number of people who could get food support. This sometimes left out many needy families in poorer areas.

Now, the government wants to make sure that all eligible families, especially in backward and less developed districts, get fair and equal access to food benefits. This change is meant to improve fairness in how food aid is given across the state.

What Changed in the Policy 

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the central government decides how much food grain each state will get. This is based on a fixed population coverage,  64.46% in rural areas and 78.54% in urban areas. This helps ensure that a large number of people get access to food support.

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Policy Change Removal of District-Wise Quota

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh had an extra rule that set a limit on how many people in each district could receive food aid. Because of this, richer districts like Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar got more than their fair share, while poorer districts couldn’t cover all the families that needed help. This system created an unfair distribution.

New System State-Wise Allocation

Now, the government has removed the district-wise cap. Instead, the benefits will be given based on state-wide population data and eligibility rules. This means food support will now be shared more fairly, based on who actually qualifies, not just where they live.

Impact on Beneficiaries

As part of this new system, 5,000 more people in each of the districts of Sitapur, Barabanki, and Lalitpur have been added to the list of beneficiaries. To make this possible, the same number of beneficiaries was reduced from Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Also, in the Bundelkhand region, NFSA coverage is being increased to 90%, and in many needy districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it’s being raised to 85%.

Benefits of the New System

• More People Covered: All eligible families across Uttar Pradesh can now be included, reducing exclusion errors.

• Flexibility: The system can respond better to changes in population and migration patterns.

• Improved Transparency: The process becomes more open and less prone to manipulation at the district level.

• Efficient Use of Resources: Food grains can be distributed where they are needed most, without being limited by old quotas.

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What is the National Food Security Act (NFSA)?

The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, is a law made by the Government of India to help fight hunger and make sure people have enough to eat. It promises to give cheap food grains to about two-thirds of the country’s population. Families who qualify under this law can get rice, wheat, and coarse grains at very low prices. These food items are given through a network of ration shops, known as the Public Distribution System (PDS). The goal is to make sure that even the poorest families can afford basic food and stay healthy.

What Was the District wise Quota System?

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh distributed food grains under the NFSA based on a fixed quota for each district. This quota was decided using population data from the 2011 Census. Each district was given a specific number of beneficiaries, and only those many people could get food grains under the scheme, regardless of the actual current population or demand in that district.