Ration distribution bags with Modi’s picture: FCI to spend more than Rs 15 crore in 5 states only; whopping hundreds of crores when implemented in all States and UTs

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, more than Rs 15 crores will be spent by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the procurement of customised bags with PM Narendra Modi’s face printed on them for the distribution of food grains as ration in five states only, under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna. This data is in accordance with Right to Information Responses to a query filed by activist Ajay Basudev Bose from the five states of Rajasthan, Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya, so far. 

The Food Corporation of India has sent communication on January 12, 2024, to all their regional offices across the country to seek tenders for woven laminated bags featuring a picture of Prime Minister Modi. This means that the amount may exponentially exceed Rs 15 crores if other states follow the FCI directions. So far, as per the latest RTI response, FCI has admitted that Meghalaya has placed an order for 4,22,000 bags at the rate of Rs 12.50/- per bag. Similarly Mizoram and Tripura have placed an order for 1,75,000 bags and 5,98,000 bags respectively at the rate of Rs 14.30/- per bag.


Previously, the regional office of FCI Rajasthan had responded to the same RTI stating that an order has been given for 1,07,45,168 (more than 1.07 crore) bags to five contractors at the rate of Rs 12.375/- per bag. While Nagaland hasn’t confirmed the quantity but the state FCI has also placed order for similar Modi printed synthetic bags at the rate of Rs 9.30/- per bag. The amount thus stands at more than Rs 15 crore as the total sum of accounts of these specific states from where responses to the RTI query have been filed.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman during the 2024 interim budget had announced that there will be more than 80 crore beneficiaries who will be given free ration every month for the next five years, starting January 2024. According to government data the PMGKAY initiative aims at supplying free food grains - 5 kg free wheat or rice per person / month along with 1 kg free whole chana to each family per month to approximately 81.35 crore beneficiaries.

According to the FCI, West Bengal regional office, the process is on for the selection of the company to print the specially designed bags with PM Modi’s face printed on them. But for Sikkim, however the process is through. For Sikkim, FCI has placed an order for approximately 98,000 bags at the rate of Rs 14.65/- per bag.

Since the free ration distribution is meant to continue for five years and if ration continues to be distributed in the same Modi printed synthetic bags to every beneficiary and every month, then cost for these 5 states alone could run into hundreds of crores.