Consumer Satisfaction towards Smart Ration Cards: A Study on Tirupur District, India

Abstract

Public distribution system has been implementing various initiatives to ensure the proper supply of ration items to the consumers. There have been complaints towards the lack of transparency in the supply of ration items. The stocks are not properly showed and unauthenticated billing of goods is made by the employees and at the same time, consumers are also misusing the ration cards. The paper ration cards already issued have their own challenges. Introduction of smart ration cards has been the only solution for all these challenges. The government has introduced the smart ration cards in the year 2017. Since then, there have been a lot of changes made in the public distribution system. The present study has analyzed the satisfaction of consumers in Tirupur District towards the smart ration cards. The factors influencing satisfaction of consumers towards smart ration cards have been analyzed and the relationship between demographic variables and the factors influencing satisfaction has been discussed in this paper. It was found that the consumers were satisfied with the selected factors influencing satisfaction except the confidentiality of financial transaction of the consumers. Suggestions have been offered for the effective use of smart ration cards as a part of the initiatives of e-governance practices.