-The Hindu   PDS needs cannot be met from open market Bidar (Karnataka): The State government is forced to consider other options for procuring millets for distribution under the public distribution system (PDS) as it could not meet the requirements from open market. It is estimated that 30,000 tonnes of jowar and 25,000 tonnes of ragi are needed for distribution under the PDS along with rice every month. However, only around 14,000 tonnes of...

-The Indian Express How Punjab is making the best use of the flawed public distribution system. Inclusive economic growth is a political, economic and social necessity. The question is: what is the right strategy to ensure this? Most of our programmes to help the underprivileged have suffered from leakages and inefficiencies, so that the benefits have not accrued to the targeted groups but the strain on our fiscal deficit remains. Subsidies are...

-Live Mint To alleviate poverty and extend true food security to its people India must bring efficiency to public expenditures In the Indian economy, where almost half of the average household's expenditures goes toward food and half the labour force is engaged in agriculture, one cannot simply wish away the centrality of agriculture just because its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) hovers around a comparatively low 14%. India's agriculture is responsible...

-GreaterKashmir.com     Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government is uanble to provide ration to around twenty lakh people in Valley as the foodgrains to Valley under Public Distribution System continue to be supplied as per the 2000 population census.  At a time when government is gloating over widening the reach of PDS, 40000 families in Valley are without ration cards, forcing them to buy rice in private at exorbitant rates. Various families among...

-The Business Standard   However, PDS won't be hampered as govt hold 48 mn tonnes in its warehouses The government on Tuesday said its wheat procurement for the 2014-15 marketing year (ending March 2015) is likely to be below the last year's level of 25 million tonnes (mt) due to poor quality of the crop. However, for a government which has been battling lack of storage space during the ongoing wheat procurement season,...