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Shrikant Trivedi: India is a social, republic, democratic country, where the object of any public distribution system is to help the masses. Our country is a country of villages, so if want the progress of our country then we have to work for the villages. Since the day we got freedom the public distribution system is working in the country. Through this system the basic needs of the common people like foodgrains, kerosene, food oil etc are met. About 22 million people are living below the poverty line, and this system aims to bring succour to them as it provides them articles at subsidised rates. According to me if the PDS does not work for the masses then many people will suffer. After introducing economic reforms in 1990 we are improving our economy and are at par with developed countries but if there is no public distribution system the common people will continue to suffer. The shortcomings in the system like its misuse by vested interests should be checked strictly so that the beneficiaries get maximum benefit.

Madhu Agrawal: Black-marketers are also in masses and Public-Distribution-System is a boon for them! Everyone knows that high dose of subsidy on kerosene costs tax-payers heavily. But it is always easily available in black at all kerosene-depots. What the really needy gets after wasting lot of man-hours in queues at fair-price shops is adulterated ration-item with foreign particles in equal proportion to the ration-item. In fact, cost of procuring ration-items in man-hours comes out to be equal to price of the item available in open market.

If government is really sincere for Public Distribution system to be effective, ration-items should be available needy persons/families with up to two children. It is senseless to waste benefits of Public Distribution System for those who are busy in producing children and crying for government-subsidies in name of their poverty. A Public-Distribution-System for persons/families with upto two children will eliminate long queues and loss of man-hours, and will ultimately lead to an ideal situation where subsidy by a Public Distribution System may not be needed at all.

Shivam: No, the public distribution system is not working for masses because until and unless people are informed about the services they cannot access those areas of services fully. Not even this, a major part of the population is unaware of how to use these services because these are not implemented effectively. It's not that the government has not put into practice the services of the public distribution system but these services are not popularised among the common masses. It is like a film released in the theatre without advertisement because of which the film might not be a hit. This is not a matter of just a single film but about the issue being taken as a subject of concern by the concerned departments because if they are doing something for the people they must put their sincere efforts to see its benefits reach the intended people. This is why we are still developing and not yet developed because we just want the things or any type of work to be done somehow and not to be done perfectly.

Malyanchal Mishra: Today India is on the way of development. Indian Government is trying to develop every citizen. That's why they are giving seeds, wheat, rice, sugar, kerosene and other things to people through various Public Distribution Systems. Here one question is arising- Is PDS working for masses- my answer is that `not very well'. The Government is giving much more but due to corruption of mediators common people are getting very less. People are being exploited by these mediators. As we know that Rajiv Gandhi had told that "if we give Re one then when it will reach to common people, it will be 10 paisa due to corruption." Every person controlling PDS items is trying to sell these items in black for earning more money.

So, till we stop corruption, nothing good can happen in India. Firstly Indian Government should try to exercise control over these mediators only then will the PDS work for the masses.

Dr Suram Singh Verma: PDS system is developed by the government for the last many years and has a very vast infrastructure all over the country reaching to its (country's) people at every nook and corner. Without doubt, it is functioning for masses and has some value for poor people in rural India in particular. But the PDS system can be more effective if corruption from the people involved in the system at every level is being checked which seems to be impossible at the moment. People involved in the system are well protected and encouraged by politicians and bureaucracy have made the system a mess for their own benefits as well as to benefit their near and dear ones. Thus, deserving section of society is either getting substandard material or not getting at all the desired benefit of the system. For better functioning of PDS system, there is a need to streamline the system as well as to punish the wrong people in the system.

Shalini: Yes, public distribution system is working for masses but the public actually do not have any concern for the services provided to them. Nowadays it's just a trend that has come into our society to blame the public system without knowing the actual facts. There are a number of places where these public systems are running actively and people who are aware are harnessing these services. Like a coin having two faces, head and tail, the public system too has two faces, rights and duties because a public system consists not only of the system but also the public. So if the system has provided benefits for the public then the public too has the duty to at least look into those services try to access them and then can raise their hands. For blaming the system on the whole, being a civilized citizen of India, one should not frame false opinions about anyone or any system based on sayings. If we all desire to make our nation and ourselves as developed ones then we should develop our thinking first.

Shradha Shukla: Yes, the public distributing system is working for the masses. But, we can't clap with one hand. So public should also take interest in maintaining any system, meant to uplift any section of the society. It is generally seen that whenever the government starts something for the welfare of the public there are misguided people who start misusing it to make money. So we can't blame the government or the system for the system's failure.

It is not a work being done by an individual but the whole lot of people are involved in this system. Corruption, prevailing in the government departments and elsewhere is responsible for failure of the public distribution system. So if we expect success from the system then we have to give system our faith and honesty. We have to take steps by ourselves then only system can work effectively.

MR Nair: The govt had introduced several welfare measures for the masses. One of them is PDS. It had three aims- poor get good foodgrains, sugar and kerosene - at reasonable rates and at the same time to check the prices of these commodities in the open market. The third one is that the farmers get reasonable price for their produce. But like any other welfare scheme, PDS also has utterly failed due to rotten corrupt system. The benefit goes not to the real beneficiary but to the middlemen and the officials connected with this system.

The latest example in this context is the news item appeared on last Tuesday about the quality of foodgrains stored at the FCI godown at Bhopal for distribution through PDS. When MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan inspected the FCI godowns, he was perturbed over the quality of foodgrains and decided to take up the matter with the Central govt.

At the distribution level most of the times, the beneficiaries are returned empty handed with the stock reply- the stock has not arrived, yet.

Even our late PM Rajiv Gandhi had said that 85 paise out of every rupee sanctioned for the welfare of the people is eaten by middlemen and the officials concerned!

RJ Khurana: In a country like India with a vast poor population, the Public Distribution System (PDS) as a policy measure is a great idea. If run transparently it is a boon for those who cannot afford essential food items at the prevailing market prices and have to go hungry.

Unfortunately, however, like every other policy measure supposedly in aid of the poor, the PDS has fallen prey to the machinations of unscrupulous people both from the bureaucracy and trading class. Thanks to their nefarious collusion, essential items like the wheat, rice, sugar and k/oil instead of being distributed to the poor at the government prescribed prices get diverted to the market for making private profits. At times the good stuff given to the approved distributors/traders is replaced by inferior stuff.

The PDS needs to be drastically streamlined by taking strict action against the dishonest officials/traders. The scheme is not bad. It is its functioning that has laid it down.

Akriti Anand: I don't think that the PDS system is doing much for the masses. The persons involved in the distribution of the PDS items are themselves the culprits. They employ all sorts of manipulations to make money. The PDS distribution is only for namesake. The truth can be seen as the poor people for whom the system should work, are not being benefited. Corruption is rampant under the veil and nobody dares to correct the corrupt.

Looking back we see an infinite number of announcements being made by the governments to help the weaker sections of the society but without much success. Famines and droughts are a regular feature in India and the PDS system should be such as to help the most affected people first. During tsunami also the reliefs meant for the people did not reach them.

According to me this melodrama should come to an end. Live and let live.

Vijay Bhargava: Not at all. It is not functioning properly and fairly. Because there is lot of corruption in this field. It is increasing woes of the public, instead of reducing it.

Both corrupt employees and the unaware consumers are responsible for this state of affairs.

Even though the high level officials and the government are preparing schemes for the benefit of the masses, but the selfish clerical staff and puny unlearned leaders (so called middlemen) play the spoilsport. Hence precautions need to be taken to defeat these elements.

RK Gupta: India suffered a severe famine in the year 1965 due to the failure of the monsoon. In the same year there broke a war between India and Pakistan. At that time there was acute shortage of foodgrains in the country. America, providing wheat under PL 480, stopped the supply of wheat midway in the sea, carried by four ships. The situation became even more grim.

The traders left no efforts to fish in troubled waters. At the same time less production of crops resulted into less supply of foodgrains and great demand of food commodities. As a result prices of essential items skyrocketed. Traders indulged in hoarding and blackmarketing.

In order to overcome this situation, the Union government started fair price shops for the common populace. The Public Distribution System (PDS) saved lives of millions of countrymen.

Meanwhile, there came the Green Revolution. India did not have good monsoon rains for many years till then. This caused buffer stocks of foodgrains in the country. India began to export foodgrains.

In spite of the corrupt practices and lacunae, the Public Distribution System is functioning well for the masses and giving them relief. Now the system is limited to people living below the poverty line.

Sushmita Shrivastava: The public distribution system (PDS) has totally failed to meet the requirements of the masses due to rampant corruption. All the items meant to be distributed under this system are black-marketed. If you want to stand in queue for hours and want to be abused, insulted and humiliated by the PDS shop owner, then go and try to bring your ration from PDS shop. Otherwise any person having slightest self-respect will not like to visit a PDS shop. I think the PDS shops must be closed because they are only benefiting the corrupt, black-marketers and unscrupulous government employees. It is the biggest lie on earth that the poor get their quota from these shops. You have to visit a PDS shop at least 10 times and waste at least 20 hours and get abused by shop owner in order to get two liter of kerosene or 5 kg of wheat. But PDS shops will not be closed, since the profits that the corrupt government employees are earning will also stop then.

Syed Zia Ul Hasan Naqvi: Beyond any doubt public distribution system by the government is meant for the masses because the trend of thought and spirit of the present age people is that everybody in the country should be provided at least essential commodities such as selected cereals, kerosene and sugar etc for his survival without any problem.

Hence under the public distribution system government is trying its level best for providing every individual essential commodities at fair price throughout the country and to ration card holders who are from the poor class of people essential commodities on subsidized rate.

Department of food and civil supplies of GoI manage the PDS in the country with the cooperation of state government. Central government and state government departments regulate the supply and distribution of essential commodities at a fare price for all and at a subsidized price for the people who are below the poverty line.

Government under different schemes such as BPL families (below poverty line) Antyodoya Anna yojna, Annapurna scheme providing food grains etc to poor class people.

PDS is really functioning for the masses but as we are well aware corruption in our country has gone to its peak, hence sometimes we hear about corrupt practices even in PDS. On account of which it is often alleged that PDS is not for the masses.

SS Chitwadgi: Answer is no. For a country like India, populated over a billion this task is the most difficult. The distributor is the Govt agency while the public is at the receiving end. Both deserve to be understood.

The system is prescribed in such a way that the main intention of the Govt is met with. Above Poverty Level (APL), Below Poverty Line (BPL) are matters very difficult to conceive and put to practice in the act of distribution. Lies, dam lies and statistics, the Govt statistics is subject to verities of criticisms. The matter of ghost cards is serious. The large number of these cards speaks of corruption at all levels of the administration.

I may not come out with what should be done but I only feel that the whole matter deserves a revision. Since we are democratic, in designing methods also democratic methods require adoption by putting elected men/women to put to and supervise the PDS. So far as recipients are concerned each individual could think of self imposed discipline in receiving PDS material, so that each does not encroach on other's claims of the PDS matter.

Satish Kumar Singh: Unquestionably perception of public distribution system is excellent. But, flaw lies in organism. As we know India is one of the fraudulent countries of the world. Once late PM Rajiv Gandhi said, out of one rupee, only 10 paisa reaches up to masses. All and sundry know the state of affairs. In spite of that not a soul cares about this. Our system has thoroughly been corrupted. New concept of NREGS has also to work in MP.

It has already come in some parts of India like UP. Will it be successful? This question is poking the mind of wide-ranging masses, because it has already failed at Lakhimpur Khiri in UP. Like other wellbeing programmes, public distribution system is also not working properly in India, whereas ration card has been provided to every poor person. BPL list has also been prepared. Every kind of government sponsored scheme is being implemented by concerning officials.

In spite of that result is zero. Every nook and corner of India, public allocation organism is working. But its advantage is not percolating up to bonafide personnel. So far as I think, basic lacuna which is persisting in this system is corruption. All other reasons come under this smudge. De facto mostly powerful persons of villages and tehsil places become organizers of PDS. Caste ridden society also creates problems, because by and large upper caste men have been elected as sarpanchs or mukhiyas of villages and after becoming officials they start troubling poor people.

As a result negligible person of village does not dare to fight against strong men. Sarpanch or Mukhiya of village takes each category of competence and essential desirable substance from the government as an owner or organizer of PDS. Hoarding plays great role in spoiling the system. Nexus among police, administrator, leaders and business men further deteriorates the scene.

Dilemma occurs due to erroneous procedure or in implementation modus operandi. This is high time for every one to make this organism more effectual, so that PDS can become outcome oriented and at least wide-ranging masses can acquire advantage of each kind of competence.

Dr Visal A Khan: The country's overwhelming population is often given as an excuse to justify poverty and starvation in India. This statement is applicable only if the State itself is poor and has no means to procure enough food for its people. India is not as poor as declared, even though two third of Indians are. India's projected defense budget for 2007-08 is Rs. 1000 billion and it plans to spend further on its nuke weapons upgrade programme. Defence spending of such proportions in a country where a section of the population equivalent to the two third size of that of the US is undernourished or suffering from malnourishment, is difficult to stomach.

India is a country of contradictions. A country that has a projected 9% development index performs worse than some Sub-Saharan countries with regard to addressing starvation and malnourishment within its territory. The National Minimum Programme promulgated by the GoI in 2004 speaks about the Rural Employment Guarantee programme, which is also reflected in India's voluntary pledge to the UNHRC. However, millions of Indians in rural villages are not benefiting from this programme and remain unemployed. The programme is not properly implemented and in places where there are possibilities of implementation and thus employment, recruitment to the programme is based on caste bias and nepotism.

Poverty and resultant starvation in India is not limited to the lower caste, although they suffer the most. The targeted PDS was introduced in India in 1997. The shift from a universal PDS to a targeted PDS was performed with the intention of avoiding the misuse and wastage of subsidised food materials. However, owing to a lack of proper screening methods and transparency in the procedure, the PDS is still a failure in India. For example, the licensing procedure for running a PDS shop is plagued by corruption. Licenses are awarded by the respective state governments and the authority to issue them is delegated to the district administrations, which are notoriously corrupt.

To receive subsidised food a family is required to posses a ration card, which also serves the purpose of determining the family's financial status. This process involves obtaining certificates from the village-head and officers at the district administration. While the village-heads often refuse to issue such certificates, district administration officials demand bribes. The ALRC has documented several cases where the refusal of the village-heads to issue certificates to the poor is the part of a larger plan; to prevent the poor, particularly those from the lower castes, from accessing government welfare schemes such as the PDS shop. This is because the longer the people remain poor and near starvation, the easier it is for the village-head to continue subjecting them to bonded labour. I feel rural masses suffer due to lack of knowledge and education, the distributors take advantages of their innocence.

RK Kutty: Had it been so then it would have been the best way of dispensing with the government's mass welfare oriented programme. Unfortunately, in our country, such systems die a natural death when people, the real beneficiaries, find it useless. Government starts every system or scheme with a view to help the masses. But, as we all know, crooked agents meddle in and cripple the system. Earlier, PDS shops provided good quality ration items like rice, wheat, sugar, kerosene oil etc at reasonable prices. But then black marketers intervened and marrow the original items supplied from the FCI outlets and exchange it with contaminated or out-dated products that finally reach the PDS out-lets. When people found it totally unusable they avoid buying it. One still remember a time when there was short supply of LPG, there were big queues at the PDS out-lets for kerosene oil, the only dependable fuel for cooking in cities like Bhopal.

People spent several hours to pick up their stock of 5 liters kerosene per family at these outlets. Now-a-days, since cooking gas is sufficiently available, very few people living in the slums depend on PDS for either their quota of sugar or kerosene oil. Even these people refuse to buy other items like rice or wheat that are worse for human consumption.

The main reason for the crippling of such system is the lack of will on the part of the government to deal sternly with the PDS shop owners, middle men who take undue advantage of government's lack of efficiency in ensuring proper distribution of PDS items to the masses.

Krishna Chandra Mouli: The very fact that a constitutional office bearer of the stature of CM found grave irregularities in the capital's PDS right under the nose of the food controller is an adequate statement that all is not well. Shivraj should be congratulated for having shed all the inhibitions associated with a constitutional post of a CM in suddenly inspecting a PDS outlet (fair price shop), the lowest unit of governance and also sending strong signals that irregularities in PDS will not be tolerated. In this context, CM Chhattisgar Dr Raman Singh's novel experiment of communicating with the target beneficiaries through SMS on mobile about the actual stocks released to FPS is also laudable because the persons behind the operation of FPS will no more be able to hide stocks from people and a complaint by any beneficiary would land the FPS dealeer in jail.

The ground realities however may take some time to change. FPS have always been linked surreptitiously with the powerful lobbies and business mafia both in rural and urban areas. The goods that are supposed to reach the masses specially the poorer sections of the society have always found way into black market and influential political bosses and officialdom because of the political and bureaucratic patronage enjoyed by the dealers and the dealers greed to get quick rich.

It is a fact that with all good intentions of the political executive in power the benefits of PDS never reached the masses properly.

are: First Sadaf Khan , Second Ashi Sirbhaiya , Third Shrikant Trivedi.