Agricultural Economics Research Review
Year : 2021, Volume : 34, Issue : conf
First page : ( 234) Last page : ( 235)
Print ISSN : 0971-3441. Online ISSN : 0974-0279.

Food security for below poverty line (BPL) population in J&K: Public distribution system entitlement analysis

Rather Khurshid Ahmad*, Kholi Shaveta

Central University of Jammu, Jammu, 181 143

*Corresponding author: khurshidahmad1010@gmail.com

Online Published on 16 March, 2022.

Abstract

Poverty and food security is global concern. People in poverty are experiencing acute hunger due to lower purchasing power. In Jammu and Kashmir, more than one million people are living under the poverty line, i.e, their monthly expenditure is as low as Rs. 1000 and Rs. 816 in urban and rural areas respectively. In this article, we analysed the status of the food security scenario among the below poverty line population in J&K by examining the ability of the erstwhile State to produce food grains locally and the PDS entitlement of foodgrains. As regards the broader picture, we found out that if NFSA entitlement criteria are followed then the local production of foodgrains is sufficient to meet the local food demand. However, there is evidence from both the primary research as well as the secondary sources data that the monthly entitlement provided through PDS under NFSA is not sufficient to meet the consumption requirement of PDS beneficiaries. Each person under the BPL category has to bear additional Rs. 270 to complete the basket of minimum monthly foodgrains requirement besides the purchase of PDS foodgrains. It attributes that the insufficient PDS foodgrains entitlement has serious repercussions on the monthly income of the BPL population as they have to purchase additional foodgrains at higher prices from the market. Thus, creating a higher risk of acute food insecurity among the BPL population in J&K, which could have got more exaggerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as the supply management of essential goods including PDS across the whole country got disrupted.

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