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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
M[NISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2756
TO BE ANSWERED ON 17TH MARCH, 2026
LINKING MINIMUM NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES TO EACH FPSS
2756 SHRI SANDOSH KUMAR p:
Will the Minister of Consumer Affairs , Food and Public Distribution be pleased to
state
(a) : whether Government has any proposal to direct the State Governments to assess and
fix a minimum number of beneficiaries to be linked with each Fair Price Shop (FPS) to
ensure its economic viability;
(b): whether Government is aware that in several States, new Fair Price Shop licences are
being issued without assessing the viability of the existing shops;
(c): if so, the details thereof; and
(d): whether Government proposes to issue guidelines to States to conduct a viability
assessment of existing Fair Price Shops before granting licences for new shops?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)
(a) to (d): in the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security
Act, 2013 (NFSA), the operational responsibility including issuance of licenses to Fair Price
Shops (FPSs), supervision and monitoring of the functioning of Fair Price Shops etc., rests with
the concerned State/UT Government.
As per sub-clause (5) of clause 9 of the TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the licences to the
fair price shop dealers shall be issued keeping in view the viability of the fair price shop.
Further, as per sub-clause (6) of clause 9 of the TPDS (Control) Order, 2015, the State
Government shall ensure that the number of ration card holders attached to a fair price shop are
reasonable, the fair price shop is so located that the consumer or ration card holder does not have
to face difficulty to reach the fair price shop and that proper coverage is ensured in hilly, desert,
tribal and such other areas difficult to access.
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