E-governance in public distribution system in India

Pages: 1568-1571
Ramandeep Kaur (Department of Public Administration, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab)

India’s Public Distribution System is the most important social service and the largest single retail system in the world. The system provides food security to poor households of the society in the country, by ensuring them, their essential fixed requirements at lower prices than in the open market. Today, India has the largest stock of grain in the world besides China. With a network of more than 5 million Fair Price Shops (FPS), the government spends Rs. 750 billion per year to distribute annually food grains to about 16 crore families. PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State Governments. The public distribution system in India is perhaps the largest distribution network of its type in the world though it’s not free from flaws So to make it flawless modernization of Targeted Public Distribution System is necessary. Modernization of Targeted Public Distribution System including its end-to-end computerization is a priority area for the Department of Food and Public Distribution. With the enactment of the National Food Security Act, 2013, computerization of TPDS has acquired greater importance. Some States/UTs have taken initiatives for computerization of TPDS. This Department had also initiated pilot schemes for computerization of various aspects of TPDS functioning in select States/UTs. However, such initiatives did not envisage end-to-end coverage in a comprehensive and integrated manner. The Department has prepared a scheme under the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) for its implementation in all States/UTs on cost sharing basis. The scheme comprises implementation of two components, namely, digitization of beneficiary and other databases, computerization of supply-chain, setting up of portal and grievance redressal mechanism and FPS automation. NIC is the technical partner for the scheme and the implementation agency for the Centre.