Service standards for Fair Price Shops

Fair Price Shops provide essential commodities to family card holders under PDS. The following are the service standards applicable to Fair Price Shops:

  • Fair Price Shops have been established to ensure that no cardholder has to walk beyond 2 km in any village or location. The Government is willing to open part-time shops where the FPS is farther than 1.5 km.

  • Full time Fair Price Shops shall be open on all days except Government holidays and on Sundays - the weekly holiday declared by the Government. In Nilgris district and Valparai area, Friday is the weekly holiday. All FPS shall be kept open during the working hours as below:

 

a)

Chennai city and its belt areas

Morning 8.30 a.m to 12.30 p.m

Evening 3.00 p.m to 7.00 p.m

b)

Other areas

Morning 9.00 a.m to 1.00 p.m

Evening 2.00 p.m to 6.00 p.m

  • The salesman shall sell commodities only during the above working hours.

  • Commodities have to be given by each FPS in any number of installments as desired by cardholders

  • Stock of each commodity available shall be written on the stock board kept outside each FPS every morning

  • Samples of each commodity available shall be kept in display in the front desk for viewing

  • Commodities received below acceptable quality (FAQ – Fair Average Quality) or commodities whose quality deteriorated after receipt shall NOT be sold to cardholders.

  • Salesmen shall behave courteously with cardholders and answer their queries patiently and clearly.

  • In case, the salesman has to leave a shop due to certain emergencies, he shall keep the cardholders notified through the notice board of the next opening time of the shop.

  • In case of part time shops, the notice board of the FPS shall display the days and time of the shop opening each week.

  • The salesman shall NOT compel cardholders to buy non-PDS commodities sold through FPS.

  • The salesman shall indent commodities in time and ensure that there is no stock out period in the FPS

  • All FPS will be provided Electronic Weighing Machines (EWM) by July 2008. FPS salesmen shall weigh and measure commodities correctly without any error or wrongful intent.

  • FPS salesmen shall record the date and quantities of each PDS commodity purchased by cardholders clearly and without any error in the family card.

  • No cardholder shall be kept waiting unnecessarily and shall be serviced within 30 minutes at the latest.

Who can cardholders call if there is a problem in the FPS ?

Any grievance about services provided by Fair Price Shops may be informed to any of the following: