The state’s food and civil supplies department stated in the assembly on Sept 16 that nearly 3.5 cr people in Gujarat avail free and subsidised rations.

These numbers provide a direct projection of the state’s rising number of families living Below Poverty Line (BPL).

71.6 lakh families in Gujarat aided by NFSA

As per the data presented in the Vidhan Sabha, 71.6 lakh families in Gujarat avail of free and subsidised rations under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) card.

NFSA cards provide food grains free of cost or at negligible rates for nearly 3.49 cr beneficiaries, which comprises nearly half of the state’s population.

As per the statistics, every district in Gujarat has at least one lakh NFSA card beneficiaries. While, Banaskantha, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Dahod have more than 16 lakh beneficiaries.

District-wise NFSA card beneficiaries:

Banaskantha - 21.67 lakh

Ahmedabad - 17.77 lakh

Valsad - 10.79 lakh

Surat - 17.49 lakh

Kutch - 12.16 lakh

Bhavnagar - 17.06 lakh

Dahod - 16.24 lakh

Vadodara - 12.25 lakh

Panchmahal - 12.38 lakh

Mehsana - 13.36 lakh

Patan - 10.57 lakh

Surendranagar - 10.23 lakh

Increase in families living under BPL in Gujarat

The number of NFSA beneficiaries in the state is a direct projection of the stagnant rise in the number of families living under BPL. Gujarat has 31.61 lakh BPL families, with 3,101 new ones falling under it over the last three years.

The data released by the state’s food and civil supplies department mentions that the number of families living under BPL in 2020-21 was 1,047; 1,751 in 2021-22; and 303 in 2022-23.

Food provisions for NFSA beneficiaries

The NFSA beneficiaries in the state can avail of several grains at either no or minimal costs.

1 kg millet, 1 kg wheat, and 2 kg rice are provided free of cost to the card beneficiaries, while desi chana is provided at ₹30/kg, groundnut oil at ₹100/kg, and salt at ₹1/kg.

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