AN ANALYSIS OF THE PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN RURAL HARYANA, INDIA

Subject and Purpose of the work: The present paper aims to analyze the functioning and coverage of the public distribution system in rural Haryana, India. Materials and methods: For analyses, secondary data were taken from various government reports like the Economic Survey of Haryana, Economic Survey of India, Census of India, Food and Supply Department, Haryana, etc. The analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics. Results: The study’s findings revealed that the public distribution system facilitates 51.45 percent of the total rural population of Haryana. As Per the guidelines of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, 75 percent of the rural population should be covered by the States under the benefits of the public distribution system. The public distribution system operates in the State with a vast network of Fair Price Shops (FPS) and a well-organized structure. The study revealed that the ratio of the beneficiaries of PDS to the FPS in Haryana is quite satisfactory and meets the criteria fixed by the Food and Supply Department of India. Conclusions: The State of Haryana does not meet the criteria of NFSA, 2013. One primary reason is that a large part of the population falls under the APL category, which has been excluded from the benefits of PDS after the implementation of NFSA, 2013.While the ratio of beneficiaries to FPS indicates the magnificent functioning of FPSs in the State.