Food security and poverty alleviation through public distribution system – A case study in Mysore district

Public Distribution System (PDS) evolved as a major instrument of the Government's economic policy for ensuring availability of food grains to the public at affordable prices as well as for enhancing the food security for the poor. It is an important constituent of the strategy for poverty eradication and is intended to serve as a safety net for the poor whose number is more than 330 million and are nutritionally at risk. PDS with a network of about 4.99 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPS) is perhaps the largest distribution network of its type in the world. An attempt is made in this paper to analyse the role of public distribution system in food security and poverty alleviation in Mysore district. The PDS is made a positive impact on the livelihood security of weaker sections of the society in the study area.