Chhattisgarh is among 15 States in the country with a completely decentralised system for procurement of rice and wheat under Centre’s ‘Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP)’.
Under DCP, food grains are procured and distributed by the State Governments themselves, officials stated. The designated DCP States procure, store and issue foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and other welfare schemes of the Government of India.
The decentralized system of procurement is intended to ensure that Minimum Support Price(MSP) is passed on to the farmers, to enhance the efficiency of procurement and to encourage procurement in non-traditional States, thereby extending the benefits of MSP to local farmers as well as to save on transit losses and costs. This also enables procurement of foodgrains more suited to local taste for distribution under the TPDS.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will accept only the surplus food grains after deducting the needs of the States, from their respective State Governments (not millers) and move it to the deficit States.
The procured foodgrains are distributed by them directly under TPDS and Welfare Schemes to the extent of allocation approved by the Central Government.
Chhattisgarh is among six other States, which have its supply-chain management system under Public Distribution System (PDS) completely digitized, officials stated.
With a view to modernising the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) the Central Government has initiated a plan scheme on ‘End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations’ on cost sharing basis with the States/UTs.
The scheme comprises digitisation of ration cards and other databases, computerization of supply-chain management, setting up of transparency portals, FPS automation etc.