Chandigarh
In a major step towards women empowerment, the Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday, rationalized the 33 percent reservation for women in the allocation of Fair Price Shop licenses. This will be implemented on a roster basis, ensuring that every third license is reserved for women. Within the women’s quota, preference will be given to victims of acid attacks, women’s Self-Help Groups (at least one per block), widows and divorced/single mothers, SC/BC and General category women.
The Cabinet approved amendments to further strengthen and streamline the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the state. The Cabinet gave its nod to the Haryana Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing & Control) Amendment Order, 2026, which amends the existing Haryana Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing & Control) Order, 2022.
The Government official spokesperson said that the amendments have been introduced with the objective of enhancing transparency, improving efficiency and ensuring greater accountability in the allocation and operation of Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the State. They also seek to promote inclusivity and wider participation, particularly by encouraging women to take part in the system.
Under the revised provisions, the eligibility criteria for obtaining a Fair Price Shop license have been clearly defined and rationalized. The Haryana Resident Certificate of current year has been made mandatory for the applicants. The FPS license shall now be granted as a minimum of 500 beneficiaries ration card/PPP instead of 300 ration cards. Applicants will now be required to have a minimum educational qualification of 10+2 along with basic computer knowledge. The age limit for applicants has been fixed between 21 and 45 years, and it will be mandatory for applicants to possess a valid Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) and to be residents of the concerned area. Government employees, existing license holders and their close family members, as well as elected representatives of local bodies, have been made ineligible in order to avoid any conflict of interest and ensure fairness in the allocation process. Strict provisions have been incorporated whereby any license holder who subsequently assumes an elected position in a local body or joins government service will be required to surrender the license, failing which it will be cancelled.
In a major step towards women empowerment, the Cabinet has rationalized the 33 percent reservation for women in the allocation of Fair Price Shop licenses. This will be implemented on a roster basis, ensuring that every third license is reserved for women. Within the women’s quota, preference will be given to victims of acid attacks, women’s Self-Help Groups (at least one per block), widows and divorced/single mothers, SC/BC and General category women.
The amendment also places significant emphasis on transparency by mandating adequate advertisements through DPRO which license for FPS are called for. The license for new FPS will be granted online through the SARAL platform that the entire licensing process will be conducted through an online system on the SARAL portal. Applications will be invited through wide publicity, including announcements at the local level and advertisements in newspapers, so that eligible applicants are adequately informed and can participate in the process.
Also the maximum age for FPS owner has been revised to 60 years extendable up to 5 years based on the written request and satisfactory performance. In case an FPS owner dies before 5 years of maximum age i.e. before attaining the age of 55 years, license will be granted to his legal heir.
The amendment further brings clarity to various definitions and operational aspects to align them with the National Food Security Act, 2013. It defines key terms such as ‘commodity’ and ‘family’ in a more precise manner by linking them with ration card and Parivar Pehchan Patra records.
The revised order also strengthens the legal and grievance redressal framework for Fair Price Shop owners. A new revision mechanism has been introduced, allowing any party aggrieved by a decision of the Deputy Commissioner to file a revision application before the Divisional Commissioner within 30 days.
