Figure 1

Mysore is located at 120.30’N and 740.65’E and has an average altitude of 770 meters (2,526 ft). It is spread across an area of 128.42 km² (50 sq ml) at the base of the Chamundi Hills neighbouring city of the states of Kerala and Tamil NaduMadikeri, Chamarajanagar, and Mandya. People in and around Mysore extensively use Kannada as medium of language. Mysore has several lakes, such as the Kukkarahalli, the Karanji, and the Lingambudhi lakes. The city is located between two rivers: the Kaveri River that flows through the north of the city and the Kabini RiverKaveri that lies to the south.

The present study has aimed to the analysis the special distribution of Fair Price Shops in Mysore City. However following specific objective have been framed for the study. To examine the distribution of Fair Price Shops in Mysore City

Fair Price Shops are the part of public distribution system. Operated by government it offers daily food products like rice, oil, sugar, wheat, flour, match box, exercise books, soap, shampoo and lot more other daily useful commodities in mush lower price than the market price. FPS can be locally found. One needs to issue a ration card on his and his entire family’s name to buy products from ration shops. The cards need to be updated every time they buy something from the FPS. The products under fair price shop come from the government. Technically the government of India buys the commodities from the farmers directly in their desirable prices and sell them through FPS in half price, so that people who are unable to buy things from market due to high price can avail these necessary products. The biggest advantage of fair price shop is it never increases the price of the products. As the shops offer necessary products at subsidised price, they never raise the price of any good. This is the reason why it is called fair price shops. In recent times fair price shops have introduced biometric system through which the process of buying things from ration shops will be much easier for the people. Also this won’t allow the black marketers to buy things from FPS. The aim of introducing biometric system in ration shops is to check on the black marketing and of course tracking the people purchasing things from ration shops.

Fair Price Shop is a major commodities distributed include staple food grains, such as wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene, through a network of fair price shops (also known as ration shops) established in several states across the country. Locally these are known as "ration shops" and chiefly sell wheat, rice, kerosene and sugar at a price lower than the market price called Issue Price. Other essential commodities may also be sold. To buy items one must have a ration card. Fair price shop is nothing but ration shop where goods are rated at reasonable prices. Fair Price Shops are distribution channels of Government making available the essential commodities like rice, kerosene, wheat etc., to common man at controlled prices. Locally these are known as "ration shops" and chiefly sell wheat, rice, kerosene and sugar at a price lower than the market price called Issue Price. Fair price shops are the shops run by Government selling consumable goods with low price and at ration. These shops are maintained to restrict the monopoly practices of traders and check hoarding of essential goods. Fair Price means controlled Price or reasonable price this price is generally lower to that of market price.

Fair Price Shops concept was started through Public distribution system in India. These shops are operated throughout the country by joint assistance of central and state government. The items from these shops are much cheaper but are of average quality. Ration shops are now present in most localities, village’s towns and cities. India has 478,000 shops constituting the largest distribution network in the world. In India highest fair price shops were situated in Uttar Pradesh (77440). The top ten highest fair price shops ranked were Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra (51596), Bihar (42117), Assam (40510), Tamil Nadu (34577), Andhra Pradesh (28942), Rajasthan (26912), Jharkhand (24186), Madhya Pradesh (22430) and Karnataka acquired tenth place regarding fair price shops in India.

It is the main them work. The Mysore city consist 65 wards and it is merged into 9 zones. These zones were used to shows the distribution of fair price depot in Mysore city.

The present study completely determines the distribution of fair price shops through using Index of Concentration technique. On the basis of this technique, in zone 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9 the fair price depot are highly concentrated and distributed, because the growth of population (466025) is more in these zones. These zones consist 37 wards they are, Zone-1 Agrahara, Chamundipuram, Gundurao Nagar, Laxmipuram, Ramchandra Agrahar, Sunnadakeri. Zone-2 Arvindanagar, Ashokapuram, Jaya Nagar, J P Nagar, Krishnamurthipuram, Srirampura, Vidyaranyapuram, Vishweshwarya Nagar. Zone-6 Devaraja Mohalla, Lashkar Mohalla, Mandi Mohalla, Medar Block, Subbrayanakere. Zone-7 Bannimantap, B. B. Keri, Erangere, Hudco Badavane, Kailasapuram, Meena Bazar, Nazarbad, Thilak Nagar. Zone-9 Gayathripuram, Gousiya Nagar, Ittigegudu, Kalyannagiri, Kyathamaranahalli, Raghavendra Nagar, Shanthi Nagar(south), Siddhartha Nagar, Vidya Nagar, and Yaraganahalli.

The people’s standard of living in these zones are very less because the middle and low class people were living. The Muslim population is more in these zones because, they didn’t adopt any family planning in their life. In these zones the most of the settlements are slums and the members of the family is high. So, the Government started more number of fair price shops in particular zones.

In 3^rd and 8^th zone the fair price shops are situated comparatively less because, in these zones the growth of population (270910) is less compare to above zones.

The zones 3 and 8 consist 18 wards. Zone-3 includes Kuvempu Nagar(KHB), Kuvempu Nagar(North), Kuvempu Nagar(South), Ramakrishna Nagar, Vivekananda Nagar, Saraswathipuram, Shardadevi Nagar, Vinayaka Nagar. Zone-8 consist Gandhi Nagar, Kesare, N R Mohalla, Rajeev Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Sathya Nagar, Shanthi Nagar(North), Subhash Nagar, Udayagiri. The people of these zones were middle class and they had better standard of living compare to above zones.In 4^th and 5^th zone of Mysore city had least fair price shops compare to above zones. These zones consist of 10 wards among these Zone-4 Brindavana Bhadavane, Gangothri, Gokulam, Onti Koppal, Paduvarahalli. Zone-5 Loknayaka Nagar, Kumbar Koppal, Laxmikanth Nagar, Manchegowdana Koppalu, Metagalli.

In Mysore city these wards are considered as the developed regions because, these were considered as the commercial sector. Here the level of population and households are comparatively very less in these zones. The main cause for the variation in distribution of fair price shops is growth of population and level of living in the society.

In zone 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9 the fair price depot are highly concentrated and distributed, because the growth of population (466025) is more in these zones. The people’s standard of living in these zones are very less because the middle and low class people were living.

In 3^rd and 8^th zone the fair price shops are situated comparatively less because, in these zones the growth of population (270910) is less compare to above zones. The people of these zones were middle class and they had better standard of living compare to above zones

In 4^th and 5^th zone of Mysore city had least fair price shops compare to above zones. In Mysore city these wards are considered as the developed regions because, these were considered as the commercial sector. Here the level of population and households are comparatively very less in these zones.

The government should implement some e-system work regarding fair price shops to reduce or avoid the block marketing. The quantity of ration distribution should increase per head because, the consumption capacity is more. The healthy or nutrient food grain must supply for the welfare of ration card holders. Some fair price shops were not situated uniformly and response of fair price owner are not satisfied.