Jan 26, 2007 :: Coupons to fight corruption

Bihar will endlessly surprise you. Written off as a basket case, its new Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is beginning to clean up public life. In a pioneering innovation, he has launched a scheme that might rid the Public Distribution System [PDS] of corruption. 

Each poor family entitled to subsidised wheat, sugar and kerosene will be issued on a single visit, with a set of coupons for a whole coming year. They can then shop for their needs from any of the PDS outlets. Shops will get replenishment based only on coupons collected and submitted to the warehouse. With this single innovation leakages from the system are expected to be prevented and shoppers will not be harrassed with ‘no stock’ signs. The Planning Commission, highly impressed by the idea, has urged other states to follow the model. News report