Gujarat food security scheme reaches 1.14 crore beneficiaries in five years
Synopsis
Gujarat's Food Security Scheme quietly tripled its reach in three years — from 14 lakh beneficiaries in 2022-23 to nearly 40 lakh in 2025-26. With over 1.14 crore people covered across five years and expenditure trending downward even as coverage grows, the data raises questions about per-beneficiary outlay that deserve closer scrutiny.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat's Food Security Scheme covered 1.14 crore beneficiaries from over 25 lakh families over five years, as per data released on 26 August 2025 .
Coverage grew from 14,48,943 beneficiaries in 2022-23 to 39,65,325 beneficiaries in 2025-26.
Wheat, rice, sugar, edible oil, gram and coarse grains are distributed monthly and during festivals, either free or at subsidised rates.
Government expenditure on foodgrain distribution peaked at ₹11,677.77 lakh in 2022-23 and stood at ₹7,001.25 lakh in 2025-26.
Coarse grains were added to the distribution basket from 2023-24 onwards.
Gujarat's state Food Security Scheme has covered more than 1.14 crore beneficiaries from over 25 lakh families over the past five years, with the government distributing wheat, rice, and coarse grains either free of cost or at subsidised rates, according to data released by the Food and Civil Supplies Department on 26 August 2025. The figures mark a significant scale-up in the state's welfare outreach since 2021.
Year-by-Year Coverage Growth
The scheme's reach has expanded sharply with each passing year. In 2022-23, 3,06,026 families comprising 14,48,943 beneficiaries were enrolled. By 2023-24, coverage had nearly doubled to 5,63,406 families and 25,43,101 beneficiaries.
The upward trend continued in 2024-25, when 7,49,252 families — covering 34,53,403 beneficiaries — availed the benefits. In 2025-26, the scheme reached 9,20,610 families and 39,65,325 beneficiaries, according to departmental data.
Foodgrain Distribution at Scale
The volume of grain distributed has been substantial. In 2021-22, the state distributed 26.91 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 12.57 lakh metric tonnes of rice. The composition shifted in subsequent years, with coarse grains added to the basket from 2023-24 onwards — 1.28 lakh metric tonnes that year, followed by 0.84 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25 and 0.88 lakh metric tonnes in 2025-26.
In 2025-26, the state distributed 8.76 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, 10.45 lakh metric tonnes of rice, and 0.88 lakh metric tonnes of coarse grains.
Expenditure Trend
Government spending on foodgrain distribution stood at ₹11,118.10 lakh in 2021-22 — of which ₹6,640.04 lakh went toward wheat and ₹4,478.06 lakh toward rice. Expenditure rose to ₹11,677.77 lakh in 2022-23 before moderating to ₹6,761.85 lakh in 2023-24, ₹7,665.94 lakh in 2024-25, and ₹7,001.25 lakh in 2025-26.
What the Government Said
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Raman Solanki said the state government had taken several measures to strengthen food security under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. 'Beneficiaries are provided wheat, rice, sugar, edible oil, gram and coarse grains on a monthly basis and during various festivals,' Solanki said.
The Food and Civil Supplies Corporation stated that the government has sought to ensure timely and transparent delivery of foodgrains to eligible beneficiaries. The scheme's consistent year-on-year expansion suggests the state is actively widening its welfare net, though independent assessment of delivery efficiency and leakage rates remains limited in the public domain.
Point of View
But the expenditure data tells a more complicated story. Government spending on foodgrain distribution has fallen from ₹11,677.77 lakh in 2022-23 to ₹7,001.25 lakh in 2025-26, even as beneficiary counts have nearly tripled. That gap — more people, less money — warrants explanation: it could reflect subsidies absorbed by the Centre, efficiency gains, or a shift in commodity mix. Without a per-beneficiary cost breakdown and independent audit of actual delivery, the scale of the scheme's impact remains difficult to verify. Gujarat's welfare expansion is real, but the accountability architecture around it needs to keep pace.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have benefited from Gujarat's Food Security Scheme in five years?
More than 1.14 crore beneficiaries from over 25 lakh families have received foodgrains under Gujarat's Food Security Scheme over the past five years, according to data released by the Food and Civil Supplies Department on 26 August 2025. The scheme distributes wheat, rice, and coarse grains either free of cost or at subsidised rates.
What foodgrains are distributed under Gujarat's Food Security Scheme?
Beneficiaries receive wheat, rice, sugar, edible oil, gram, and coarse grains on a monthly basis and during various festivals, according to Food and Civil Supplies Minister Raman Solanki. Coarse grains were added to the distribution basket from 2023-24 onwards.
How has the coverage of Gujarat's food scheme grown year on year?
Coverage grew from 3,06,026 families (14,48,943 beneficiaries) in 2022-23 to 9,20,610 families (39,65,325 beneficiaries) in 2025-26 — a nearly threefold increase in beneficiary count over three years.
How much has the Gujarat government spent on foodgrain distribution?
Expenditure stood at ₹11,118.10 lakh in 2021-22 and peaked at ₹11,677.77 lakh in 2022-23. It subsequently moderated to ₹6,761.85 lakh in 2023-24, ₹7,665.94 lakh in 2024-25, and ₹7,001.25 lakh in 2025-26, even as beneficiary numbers continued to rise.
Who oversees the Gujarat Food Security Scheme?
The scheme is administered by the Food and Civil Supplies Department and the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation of Gujarat. Minister Raman Solanki heads the department and has credited Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's leadership for the scheme's expansion.
