Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis

This project evaluated the implementation and impact of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 in Madhya Pradesh during the period from September 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022. The NFSA aims to alleviate hunger and food deprivation by ensuring access to subsidized food grains through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The study assessed 75 NFSA households from each of the four sampled districts, comprising Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries. The evaluation examined accessibility, quality, and pricing of food grains, along with potential leakages in the distribution mechanism. While the research highlighted awareness of intra- and inter-state portability, it found that most beneficiaries had not utilized these facilities. Distribution under the PMGKAY scheme was found to be accessible and efficient. Although the majority of Fair Price Shops (FPS) were efficiently managed by cooperatives, some operational challenges were identified. The study o