Govt: No basis for claims of large-scale PDS leak

The government on Tuesday said that the assumption of large-scale leakage in the public distribution system (PDS), amounting to almost 28 per cent according to a recent report, lacks a sound base and is riddled with inconsistencies.

It said that the data from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) of 2022-23 includes cereal consumption from multiple sources, such as state-specific schemes and private purchases, which complicates any direct correlation with PDS offtake.

It said that, according to HCES 2022-23, monthly per capita cereal consumption is 5.32 kilogram (kg) of rice and 3.93 kg of wheat in rural areas, and 4.28 kg of rice and 3.58 kg of wheat in urban areas.