- The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan on June 29, 2019 asserted that the Government is going to implement “One nation-one ration card” scheme in the whole country by 30th June, 2020.
- According to him, work on linking all the ration cards all over the country with Aadhar cards and organizing food grain distribution mechanism in its entirety through Point of Sale (PoS) machine is in the final stage.
- Currently Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura are 10 states where 100% POS machines have been arranged for grain distribution and all PDS shops have been connected to the Internet. Now, in these states any beneficiary can take grain from any public distribution system shop in that state.
- According to the Minister, to ensure “One Nation One Ration Card” scheme is implemented across the nation and for that data of all ration cards will be connected to one server and any beneficiary, anywhere in the country, will be able to pick up their grain from any public distribution system of their choice after June 30, 2020.
Depots online system (DOS)
- The Minister said work is in the final stage for integrating the entire public distribution system with the Depots online system (DOS)to ensure seamless working of the National Food Security Act and bringing further transparency in the storage and distribution process of food grains.
- FCI will provide an internet gateway for integrating DOS with State governments within 4 months. After that, within 2 months, States will integrate their Warehouse Management Systems with DOS.
- FCI has implemented the Depot Online System (DOS) in all its 563 warehouses and CWC has implemented it in 144 depots. Apart from this, procurement of food grains by the FCI has also been made online while purchase, storage and distribution system of most States has been made online in some form or the other.
Annavitran portal
- The Union Minister insisted that there should be a system for storage of all such qualitative and quantitative information which can then be accessed through the ‘annavitran’ portal and the specially designed dashboard which he personally monitors in the morning meetings with senior officials of the Ministry.
Pilot Scheme for ‘Fortification of Rice and its Distribution’
- The Food & PD department will be implementing a new Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme for “Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System” which was given administrative approval on 14-Feb-2019.
- The Pilot Scheme has been approved with a total budget outlay of Rs.147.61 crores for a period of 3 years beginning 2019-20.
- The Pilot Scheme would be funded by Government of India in the ratio of 90:10 in respect of North Eastern, Hilly and Island States and 75:25 in respect of the rest of the States.
- The Pilot Scheme will focus on 15 Districts (one District per State).
- At present, 9 states have agreed to start the scheme and have identified the districts. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Assam. The remaining states have been requested to select the districts and work on implementation of this system by selecting Agency-Mills for rice fortification.
