Rajat Jyoti Sarkar

Public Distribution System in India - Some Emerging Issues Rajat Jyoti Sarkar

In India PDS is not the only answer for improving food security of the poor because it can help only those who have purchasing power. Other anti- poverty programs have to be strengthened as part of the economic reforms for creating income generation among the poor and vulnerable sections of the people. So Public Distribution System will become a fruitful food security program if it is merged with the employment generating programs and nutrition based programs. From the above study I see that National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (NREGS) has the great potential in enhancing food security and livelihood security of the rural poor. From this study I have seen that Public Distribution System is socially viable but it is not economically viable. Actual poor people will be the ultimate looser if this scheme is abolished completely. As it is a socially viable approach, we should not abolish it completely. Rather we have to remove the loopholes inherent in it. We can get better result if PDS is merged with employment schemes like NREGS. As NREGS is self targeting, the non poor people will be automatically opt out if it is merged with Public Distribution System.