Current Challenges in PDS

Leakages in PDS

Leakages refer to food grains not reaching intended beneficiaries.According to 2011 data, leakages in PDS were estimated to be 46.7%. Leakages may be of three types: (i) pilferage during transportation of food grains, (ii) diversion at fair price shops to non-beneficiaries, and (iii) exclusion of entitled beneficiaries from the list.

• In 2016, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that states had not completed the process of identifying beneficiaries, and 49% of the beneficiaries were yet to be identified.It also noted that inclusion and exclusion errors had been reported in the beneficiary lists.
• In February 2017, the Government ....