Public Distribution System in Uttar Pradesh: Access, Utilization and Impact

The public distribution system (PDS) in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s most populous state, was widely recognized as dysfunctional. However, following the introduction of reforms in recent times, analysts have put this state in the category of “reviving” states. Against this backdrop, this article presents recent evidence of improved accessibility, utilization and impact of PDS in UP using data from the 68th Round of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) and primary data collected from six villages of western UP. The main findings show that the accessibility to PDS rationing is higher among lower socioeconomic groups and regions, which also have a higher share of PDS commodities in their food consumption and calorie intake in comparison to the non-poor categories. PDS has also made a positive and significant contribution towards ensuring food security among poor families. However, entitlements for the non-poor have been gradually phased out as the majority of them do not purchase food items and consider their entitlement for “kerosene only.” With high levels of corruption and lower income margins, ration dealers siphon off a part of the PDS quota for sale in the open market or charge higher prices to cover their losses