NEW DELHI: The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) has suggested improvements to public distribution operations in the country’s 112 most backwards districts, also known as aspirational districts.
The DFPD has submitted a comprehensive report to the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi. Following this report, the government will conduct a nationwide awareness campaign and improve service delivery from Fair Price Shops (FPS) to beneficiaries.
The Government of India launched the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) in 2018 to promote rapid development in the country’s most underdeveloped regions.
The DFPD conducted visits to the aspirational districts in June and July 2025 to identify gaps in last-mile delivery, promote efficiency and transparency, and create a more inclusive and responsive food security system. Over 140 senior officers from the DFPD and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) participated in this assessment.
The review covered 277 Fair Price Shops, interactions with 458 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), 108 depots, 113 procurement centres and feedback from 164 grievance petitioners. It also included discussions with district administrations, state nodal officers, and officials from the Food Corporation of India and Central Warehousing Centres regarding systemic improvements.
The comprehensive report consists of detailed observations and findings from the visits, along with recommendations. Key recommendations include enhancing public distribution operations, including procurement, storage, distribution (FPS operations), and grievance redressal in the aspirational districts and across the country.
The DFPD will also launch a comprehensive national awareness campaign in local languages to educate beneficiaries about their entitlements under the Public Distribution System (PDS), One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), rice fortification, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
To strengthen procurement centres, the DFPD will collaborate with state governments to improve infrastructure and storage facilities. Additionally, the DFPD is promoting SMART warehouses that integrate AI technology for improved maintenance and storage solutions.