The Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country facilitates the supply of food grains and distribution of essential commodities to a large number of poor people through a network of Fair Price Shops at a subsidized price on a recurring basis. With a network of more than 51879 lakh Fair Price Shops claiming to distribute annually, commodities worth more than Rs 15,000 crore to about 30 crore families, the PDS in India is perhaps the largest distribution network of its type in the world.