Targeted Public Distribution System

The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is a means of distributing foodgrain and other basic commodities at subsidised prices through “fair price shops”. Every family is supposed to have a ration card. In 1997, the TPDS became “targeted”: wherein different ration cards were issued to households “Below the Poverty Line” (BPL) and those “Above the Poverty Line” (APL), and each category has different entitlements. Today, both BPL and APL households are entitled to 35 kgs of grain per month, but the issue price is higher for APL households.

The BPL quota for each state is determined by the Planning Commission’s estimates of poverty in the state, which is in turn calculated on the basis of the National Sample Survey Organisation’s (NSSO) Consumption Expenditure Surveys (CES).

TPDS Court Order Summary

  1. 35kg. of food grain should be given to BPL card holders at subsidized price.
  2. A fixed address is not necessary to get a ration card. Even homeless people are entitled to ration cards.
  3. In the event of corruption in TPDS, strong criminal action should be taken under the Essential Commodities Act.
  4. Eligible People who are denied the BPL-TPDS card can apply to a designated authority in the state. In case of denial of the card by the designated authority people can apply to an appellate authority in the district, within 30 days of the denial order from designated authority, who shall give the decision as far as practicable within 60 days. Till the appeal is pending, the Appellate Authority may direct that the order under appeal shall not take effect. This means that an aggrieved person may be issued a temporary BPL-TPDS card.
  5. The monthly ration should be provided to the beneficiary in installments.
  6. It is the legal duty of all Fair Price Shop owners, to:
    1. keep their shops open during the stipulated period
    2. charge only the prescribed price
    3. give the BPL cards to the card holders, and not keep these in FPS itself
    4. not make false entries in the BPL cards
    5. not store or sell the grain in open market
    6. not hand over such ration shops to other person/organizations. The license of all shop-owners who do not comply with these provisions should be cancelled.

Important documents related to TPDS

  1. Essential Commodities Act
  2. TPDS Control Orders:
    PDS Control Order 2001 (GoI)
    2004 Amendments of PDS Control Ordrer 2001 (GoI)
    PDS Control Order 2004 (Government of Chhattisgarh)
    2006 Amendments of PDS Control Order 2004 (Government of Chhattisgarh)
  3. Wadhwa Report
  4. Commissioners’ Response to Wadhwa
  5. Raipur Declaration on the Public Distribution Systems
  6. Supreme Court orders on TPDS