FOOD SECURITY: PDS
Grains For All: How It Can Work
Chhattisgarh plugged the loopholes and reformed their PDS to improve delivery of foodgrains
Prodded by a long, widespread public campaign, Chhattisgarh embarked on reforming its PDS five years ago. Private contractors were eased out and transparency introduced through computerisation. Today, the state’s 10,500 fair price shops—run mostly by panchayats, self-help groups and cooperatives—are seen as a model the nation could emulate.
What has made the difference? Clearly, all-round monitoring helps. Despite attempts to divert stocks, almost all the fair price shops get their stock of rice, wheat, sugar and salt by the 10th of every month. On a prefixed date, the supplies are given to the people, mostly at the local haat so that everyone can monitor. “Since both government and public are monitoring, the result is a much better PDS,” asserts 45-year-old Gangabhai Tekra of Sarguja zila.
A robust IT network helps too. Computerisation helped weed out over two lakh bogus cards prior to distribution and another 80,000 six months after the new system became operational, according to A.K. Somasekhar, principal systems analyst, NIC. Trucks carrying supplies from government warehouses to the fair price shops are monitored via SMS. Also, a hotline system to file complaints or suggestions seems to be working. Since January 2009, of the 3,500 complaints lodged, 25 per cent have been found to be genuine. Ergo, 100 arrests and 50 FIRs have been filed.
“The system may not be foolproof but it has managed to plug leakages and help card-holders get the right quantity and quality of supplies in time,” says Samir Garg of Adivasi Adhikar Samiti. That’s something for a scheme that covers 74 per cent of the population—3.6 million families. A survey of the PDS in four districts of Chhattisgarh last year reveals 92 per cent customer satisfaction. Of course, experts stress there’s a lot more work to be done.