Tamil Nadu Government is implementing Universal Public Distribution System (UPDS) and no exclusion is made based on the income criteria. The Hon'ble Chief Minister has made the universal public distribution system 'poor friendly' by ordering rice at free of cost under public distribution system to all eligible card holders from 01.06.2011.

Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation procures rice and other essential commodities required for public distribution system from Food Corporation of India and through tenders. Distribution of commodities through fair price shops is being carried out by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and the Cooperative societies..

• FAIR PRICE SHOPS

The Public Distribution System is implemented through 33,222 fair price shops functioning under the various agencies are as follows:-

Sl.No	Agency	Full-Time	Part-Time	Total
1	Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation	1,178	277	1,455
2	Cooperatives (Under R.C.S)	23,727	9,100	32,827
3	Other Co-operatives	314	162	476
4	Women fair price shops,including Self Help Groups	370	41	411
	TOTAL	25,589	9580	35,169

Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation lifts essential commodities from Food Corporation of India and stores them in 284 operational godowns located all over the state. From the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation operational godowns, stocks are moved by lead Cooperative Societies / self lifting societies and delivered at the doorsteps of fair price shops. Similarly, Sugar is moved by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation from the respective Cooperative / Private Sugar Mills and distributed through its operational godowns. Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation also procures various other essential commodities for Special Public Distribution System directly from the market through tenders and also through designated Government of India agencies. Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and Cooperatives lift kerosene from wholesale dealers of the oil companies.

The details of family cards in circulation in Tamil Nadu are as follows:

Sl. No.	Type of Card	Commodities Entitiled	No. of Cards
1.	PHH	All Commodities incuding Sugar	76,99,940
2.	PHH-AAY	All Commodities including 35Kgs of Rice	18,64,600
3.	NPHH	All Commodities including Rice	90,08,842
4.	NPHH-S	Sugar Option Card (All Commodities except Rice)	10,01,605
5.	NPHH-NC	No Commodity	41,106
TOTAL			1,96,16,093

Issue of family cards to eligible families is a continuous process and this Government have issued necessary instructions to the Principal Commissioner and Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection to issue cards without delay. At the same time, bogus cards are also being eliminated.

Application form for applying new family card has been prescribed by Government and can be downloaded from Civil Supplies Department website www.consumer.tn.gov.in

• RICE

Rice is being distributed to the family card holders who have exercised option for rice and to the Antyodaya Anna Yojana Card holders. Rice is supplied free of cost with effect from 01.06.2011

The Present Monthly Allotment of Rice and Issue Price for the rice allotted from the Central pool through Food Corporation of India are as under

Sl.No.	Category	Monthly allotment (in MTs)	Price (Rupees per Kg.)
1.	Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)	57437.202	3.00
2.	Priority cards	135783.900	3.00
3.	Tide over	99773.138	8.30
	Total	292994.240

• SUGAR

Sugar is also being distributed to the family card holders of Tamil Nadu under Public Distribution System. Approximately, a quantity of 32,000 MT of Sugar is consumed by the family card holders per month under Public Distribution System. The subsidized selling price of sugar for the Public Distribution System cards is Rs. 25/- per kg and the selling price of AAY cards is Rs. 13.50/- per Kg. The difference between the average market price at which the Government procure sugar and subsidized price is met by State Government. The additional expenditure of Rs. 578.40 crore per anum for the supply of sugar to family card holders in Public Distribution System is met under State food subsidy.

• WHEAT

Since November 2016, a quantity of 13,485 MT of wheat is being allocated to Tamil Nadu by Government of India under National Food Security Act, 2013. Accordingly, wheat is being supplied free of cost to all the willing rice card holders who have opted for wheat, in lieu of rice, subject to availability at the fair price shops.

• KEROSENE

The monthly allotment of kerosene to Tamil Nadu by Government of India which stood at 52,806 kilo litre in April 2011 has been brought down by Government of India to 39,429 kilo litre in April 2012; Eventhough, the reduced quantity amounts to 60.53% of the State’s requirment of 65,140 kilo litre of kerosene, the Government is taking necessary measures for equitable distribution of kerosene to cardholders. Tokens are issued to the cardholders who did not get kerosene at the public distribution system shops. Such of those persons to whom tokens have been issued, are supplied kerosene on priority during the subsequent month. The action taken by the Government to speed up the stamping of LPG connection details in family cards has helped in saving a quantity of 1,560 kilo litre of kerosene and this is redistributed to eligible card holders.

Kerosene is being supplied under public distribution system only to cardholders who do not have LPG connections and cardholders with one cylinder LPG connection. The scale of supply of kerosene ranges 3 litres to 15 litres per month to no LPG card holders depending upon their area of residence. In respect of cardholders with one LPG connection, irrespective of area of their residence, 3 litres of kerosene. per month is being supplied. The retail selling price of kerosene to cardholders ranges from Rs. 13.60 to 14.20 per litre depending upon the distance from the terminal.

• INSTALLATION OF KEROSENE BUNKS

To streamline distribution of Kerosene,retail bunks for kerosene have been established. A kerosene bunk normally serves 5,000 to 15,000 family cards. Distribution through kerosene bunks ensures assured availability of the stock throughout the month, besides ensuring supply to cardholders in correct measure. At present there are 312 kerosene bunks, of which 269 function under co-operatives and 43 under Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. All the kerosene bunks are provided with hand held billing machines.

• ANTYODAYA ANNA YOJANA SCHEME (AAY)

Antyodaya Anna Yojana Scheme (AAY) is being implemented in our State. Even though, there is no classification under this scheme,the poorest of poor are targeted for the issue of Antyodaya Anna Yojana cards. This has now been expanded by the Government of India based on the directions of the Supreme Court ofIndia. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana family cards are eligible for 35 kgs. of rice per month and rice is distributed free of cost to these family Cardholders only in this State,despite the fact that the Government of India has stipulated cost at Rs.3 per kg. for this scheme.

The following categories of persons / families have been targeted under this scheme:

• Widows,terminally ill persons, disabled persons, persons aged 60 years and above with no family or societal support or assured means of subsistence.
• All primitive tribal households.
• HIV positive affected, leprosy affected persons, urban homeless.

• SCALE OF SUPPLY OF COMMODITIES

Under Public Distribution system, rice is distibuted free of cost. Wheat, Sugar and Kerosene are being distributed at subsidised prices.

Sl. No.	Name of the commodity	Price per kg	Scale of supply
1	Rice	Free of Cost (as per Hon'ble Chief Minister's Announcement) ( w.e.f 01.06.2011)	All rice card holders are eligible for 5 kg of rice per person (including a child) per month or erstwhile entitlement (prior to NFS) whichever is higher. All AAY cards are supplied with 35 Kg per month.
2	Sugar	Rs.13.50 per Kg. for AAY cards and Rs. 25/- for all other cards	500 grams per head per month subject to a maximum of 2 kgs. per month. In the care of sugar option cardholders, 500 grams per head per month plus an additional quantity of 3 kg of sugar subject to a maximum of 5 kg per month
3	Wheat	Free of Cost	Out of the rice entitlement of a family card, 10 kgs per month in Chennai City and district head quarters and 5 kgs per month in other areas are issued in lieu of rice at free of cost subject to the availability of wheat.
4	Kerosene	Rs.13.60 to Rs.14.20 per litre	Ranges from 3-15 litres per family card depending upon the possession of LpG connection and place of residence of the family cardholders.

• SPECIAL PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Government introduced the Special Public Distribution System through which pulses and packed fortified palmolein oil are distributed to the family card holders,to control the rise in prices of pulses and edible ol in the open market. The Fortified RBD Palmolein oil contains Vitamin A- 25 IU & Vitamin D-2 IU in each gram. Turd al and Palmolein Oil are being supplied to the family card holders under Special Public Distribution System. A quantity of 20,000 MT of Tud dal and 156 Lakh litres of Palmolein oil are being purchased.

• MECHANISM TO CONTROL LEAKAGES

Efforts are made to monitor the movement of stocks from Food Corporation of India depots to TNCSC Ltd taluk operational godowns and then to PDS outlets. Route charts are followed for movement from Taluk godowns and shops which are being intercepted and inspected by various teams.

• General inspections and monitoring of Public Distribution System is carried out by following agencies:
• District Collectors
• Civil Supplies Department
• Co-operatives/TNCSC Ltd. Officials in their respective shops.
• Inspections are carried at godowns, shops and also enroute movements.

The system of universal Public Distribution System followed in Tamil Nadu with its effective and diligent mechanism of implementation has contributed to a great extent in stabilising the food grain price even during the drought years.