World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Odisha launched India’s first around the clock grain dispensing machine, the ‘Grain ATM,’ also known as ‘Annapurti’ in Bhubaneshwar.
- Odisha has become the first state in India to provide access to the public distribution system beneficiaries 24 hours a day.
- The Annapurti provides universal access: anyone with a Public Distribution System ration card valid in India, regardless of the State and Union Territory, can access their entitlement.
- It can dispense grain up to 50 kilograms in five minutes 24 hours a day, reducing waiting time by 70 percent.
- Once biometric authentication is completed, it provides consistent access to the full food ration.
