Public Distribution System Reforms and Consumption in Chhattisgarh -Prasad Krishnamurthy, Vikram Pathania, and Sharad Tandon

Chhattisgarh's public distribution system reforms have been lauded as a model for the National Food Security Act, and as one that other states can emulate. Previous research has shown that PDS rice consumption increased in Chhattisgarh following reforms by the Raman Singh government, which began in 2004. However, one-third of PDS rice consumption growth in Chhattisgarh took place before 2004. This finding suggests that the pre-2004 reforms to fair price shop ownership and state procurement by the Ajit Jogi government contributed to PDS consumption growth. Our findings suggest that sustained reforms, when coupled with political and social will, can improve PDS access, and that improvements may not be substantial or sustained in the absence of these factors.

Prasad Krishnamurthy (prasad@law.berkeley.edu) is at the University of California - Berkeley Law School, Berkeley, the US. Vikram Pathania (V.Pathania@sussex.ac.uk) is at the Department of Economics, University of Sussex, Brighton, the UK. Sharad Tandon (standon@ers.usda.gov) is at the United States Department of Agriculture - Economic Research Service, Washington DC.

We would like to thank Reetika Khera and an anonymous referee for providing comments on an earlier draft. The views expressed here are those of the authors, and may not be attributed to the Economic Research Service or the US Department of Agriculture.

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