Public Distribution System in Andhra Pradesh
India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) is perhaps the
largest retail system of its type in the world. Since 1951 public distribution
of food grains has been retained as deliberate social policy by India with the
objectives of:
(i)
Providing food grains and other
essential items to vulnerable sections of the society at reasonable
(subsidized) prices
(ii)
To put an indirect check on the
open market prices of various items and
(iii)
To attempt socialization in the
matter of distribution of essential commodities
PDS is an important constituent of the strategy for
poverty eradication and is intended to serve as a safety net for the poor and
are nutritionally at risk.
PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the
Central and the State Governments. The Central Government has taken the
responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation and bulk allocation of
food grains, etc.
The operational details of the PDS differ from state to
state. Though the policy of setting up of Fair Price Shops owes its initiation
to national food policy, its implementation remains the direct responsibility
of the state governments.
In order to operate the PDS effectively, the Central Government
issues guidelines from time to time to the states regarding the operational details
of the PDS. The operational responsibilities including allocation within the
State, identification of families below poverty line, issue of ration cards,
supervision and monitoring the functioning of Fair Price Shops rest with the
State Governments.
The Food and
Civil Supplies Department of the State Government is mainly entrusted with the
task of monitoring PDS in the state.
The policy of Public Distribution System/Rationing System has
undergone several changes with every lap of Five Year Planning System in the
country. The Seventh Five Year Plan assigned to it a crucial role by bringing
the entire population under Public Distribution System and became a permanent
feature in the country's economy.
The beneficiaries under Public Distribution System are
categorized as
a)
Above Poverty Line (APL)
b)
Below Poverty Line (BPL)
The APL beneficiaries are provided with Pink colour Ration card
and BPL beneficiaries are provided with white colour Ration card.
Due to failure to serve the population below the poverty line,
urban bias, negligible coverage in the States with the highest concentration of
the rural poor and lack of transport and accountable arrangements for delivery,
TPDS( Targeted Public Distribution System) was introduced w.e.f 01.06.1997 in
the State.
A food coupon system for distribution of rice and kerosene
through PDS was introduced in Andhra Pradesh during 1998-99 in order to improve
the delivery system of these two commodities.
As per the Economic Survey released by the Government of Andhra
Pradesh for the year 2011-12, there are 2,26,41,674 ration cards attached to
44,579 Fair Price shops functioning in the State as on 30.11.2011. The
classification of ration cards are
1.
White – 1,79,96,243
2.
AAY -15,57,800
3.
Annapurna-93,200
4.
Pink- 29,94,431
Out of them 44,579 Fair Price shops, 6747 are in urban areas and
37872 are in rural areas. On an average there are 535 cards/ families attached
to each Fair price shop with 1965 persons in Andhra Pradesh.
Rice, Wheat, Sugar, Iodized Salt,dal, edible oil and Kerosene
are the general commodities that are being supplied under PDS. Under market
intervention operations Onions, tamarind, chillies, redgram dal, Sona masuri
rice will also be make available to the consumers at affordable prices.
FCI is playing a crucial role in procurement and buffer stock
operations and thereby insulating the food economy from fluctuations in food
grains production and rise in prices due to intermediaries and private traders.
The system also provides gainful employment for Fair
Price Shops Owners, their employees and hired labour who work at the FCI and
state warehousing godowns.
PDS also has become a cornerstone of government
development policy and is tied to implementation of most rural development
programs. PDS is also a key driver of public sentiment and is an important and
very visible metric of government performance.
The Public Distribution System was initially visualized in terms
of checking inflation and protecting vulnerable sections from the vagaries of
the market mechanism. But on looking various studies, findings and results, PDS
scheme in Andhra Pradesh is success and the poor are deriving their food
security.
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