People's Perception of Public Distribution System in Arunachal Pradesh: A Comparative Analysis of Two Districts

Abstract

Public Distribution System (PDS) is viewed as the most important food security network in India in terms of its coverage and public expenditure yet it is not without its limitations. The government spends around Rs. 750 billion per year on food grains, however, over 20% of the population remains undernourished in the country. The present study focuses on the performance of PDS in the districts of Papum Pare and Kurung Kumeyby analysing the household consumer perceptions. For this purpose, 300 households were surveyed from the two districts. The purposive sampling method was followed in choosing the respondents from the district headquarters of Itanagar (Papum Pare) and Koloriang (Kurung Kumey). The study found that more than three-fourths of the consumers in both the districts were satisfied with the performance of PDS. The Fair Price Shops in Papum Pare district were perceived to be faring better in terms of the number of working days compared with their counterparts in Kurung Kumey. Besides, the respondents in Kurung Kumey district have to travel more than the respondents in Papum Pare to reach the ration shop. Almost all the respondents acknowledged the important role being played by PDS in the well-being of their family. In respect of the replacement of PDS over cash transfer system, over70% of the respondents in Kurung Kumey and nearly 89% of the respondents in Papum Pare district did not want cash transfer. The findings suggest the need to support and strengthen the existing policy of supplying the commodities at subsidized prices.