📄 Abstract
This study examines the performance of Fair Price Shops (FPS) and experience of beneficiaries with the Public Distribution System (PDS) working in Haryana. The FPSs are the last-mile delivery points of PDS which are important for food security and effective service delivery for the beneficiary households. Despite several reforms such as digitisation and ePoS-based distribution, there is limited empirical evidence available on the performance of the FPS system in Haryana from a comparative rural-urban perspective. This study is based on primary survey data collected from 384 beneficiary households in Haryana. The findings show clear rural-urban differences in performance of FPS and beneficiaries experience. Distance-related challenges were relatively more evident in rural areas, whereas urban beneficiaries faced challenges like longer waiting times, greater crowding and more frequent visits to FPS. Technical issues related to biometric authentication and connectivity affected beneficiaries in both rural and urban areas. Despite these challenges, most respondents perceived FPS locations as convenient and reported positive experiences regarding staff behaviour and service. The study emphasizes the need for improving operational efficiency, building digital infrastructure, and minimizing accessibility-related barriers to improve the service delivery of FPS in Haryana.
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📚 How to Cite:
Anchal, Sunil Phougat , UNDERSTANDING BENEFICIARY EXPERIENCE AT FAIR PRICE SHOPS UNDER PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM: EVIDENCE FROM HARYANA , Volume 13 , Issue 9, September 2026, EPRA International Journal of Economics, Business and Management Studies (EBMS) , Pages: 1 - 6 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra31455