Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection

The goal of the Public Distribution System is to ensure food security to all citizens, particularly poor people, by making available essential commodities of good quality at affordable prices every month, through fair price shops which are easily accessible.

The structure of PDS follows a functional pattern involving procurement, storage, distribution of food grains on the one hand and distributing the food items to people through an extensive network of FPSs and monitoring of movement of essential commodities and enforcement actions against infraction of guidelines, procedure and malpractices.

Tamil Nadu Government is implementing Universal PDS (UPDS) and no exclusion is made based on the income criteria. The Hon’ble Chief Minister has made the universal PDS ‘poor friendly’ by ordering rice at free of cost under PDS to all eligible card holders from 01.06.2011.

Website Link

The official website of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection department is https://www.tnpds.gov.in. Through the website, public can avail Smart card application services, Smart card correction services and can register complaints.

SMS Services

By sending a SMS from registered mobile number to mobile number 9980904040, public can get Fair Price Stock (FPS), FPS open and closing details and can complaint about billing. Format to send SMS is given below.

• PDS 101 – Availability of Commodity at FPS
• PDS 102 – Status of FPS (Open / Close)
• PDS 107 – Complaints about billing

Help Desk Unit

Department has a help desk unit located at Pulivalam, Trichy district is servicing the state for providing the detail about the department, FPS, sale of commodities, stock in FPS and can register complaint about day to day operation of FPS. The toll free number for this center is 1967 or 1800 425 5901.

Schemes

Rice

Rice is being a staple food of Tamil Nadu distributed to the family card holders who have exercised option for rice and to the AAY card holders. Rice is supplied free of cost with effect from 01.06.2011.

Scale of Supply of Commodities

Under Public Distribution System, Rice is distributed free of cost. Wheat, Sugar and Kerosene are being distributed at subsidized prices.

Special Public Distribution System

Under Special Public Distribution System, Toor Dhall, Urid Dhall and fortified Palmolein Oil are being distributed at subsidized price.

ANTYODAYA ANNA YOJANA SCHEME (AAY)

Antyodaya Anna Yojana Scheme is being implemented in our State. Even though, there is no classification under this scheme, the poorest of poor are targeted for the issue of AAY cards. This has now been expanded by the Government of India based on the directions of the Supreme Court of India.

The following categories of persons / families have been targeted under this scheme.

• Widows, terminally ill persons, disabled persons, persons aged 60 years and above with no family or societal support or assured means of subsistence.
• All primitive tribal households
• HIV positive affected, leprosy affected persons and urban homeless.

ANNAPOORNA Scheme

The Annapoorna Scheme has been launched with effect from 1st April 2000. It aims at providing food security to meet the requirement of those senior citizens who, though eligible, have remained uncovered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS).

The Central Assistance under the Annapoorna Scheme is, thus preceded to the beneficiaries on fulfilling the following criteria

1. The age of the applicant (male or female) should be 65 years or above.
2. The applicant must be a destitute in the sense of having little or no regular means of substance from his/ her own source of income or through financial support from family members or other sources. In order to determine destitution, the criteria, if any, no force in the States.
3. The applicant should not be in receipt of pension under the NOAPS or State Pension Scheme.
4. The beneficiaries are given 10 Kg of food grains per month free of cost.

PRADHAN MANTRI UJJWALA YOJANA

PMUY aims to safeguard the health or women and children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG, so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.