The Chhattisgarh Government has allocated around 16.91 lakh quintals rice to the ration card-holders through the Public Distribution System (PDS) for the month of October this year, officials stated.
The Government had announced its decision to allot 16.70 lakh tonnes of rice for the ration card holders under Public Distribution System (PDS) for the month of September this year. Similarly, during the month of August, the Government had allocated 16.75 lakh quintals of rice under PDS , officials stated.
Chhattisgarh is among only six other states in the country out of 36 states and union territories which have its supply-chain management system under Public Distribution System (PDS) completely digitised so far, officials stated.
With a view to modernising the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) the Central Government has rolled out a scheme on ‘End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations’ on cost sharing basis with the States or UTs.
The scheme comprises activities, namely, digitisation of ration cards/beneficiary and other databases, computerisation of supply-chain management, setting up of transparency portals, FPS automation etc. Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government has also prepared a comprehensive action plan for ensuring total transparency in the preparation of ration cards besides evolving a mechanism for error-free identity of Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries.
Under the action plan, the mobile, bank account and Aadhar numbers of the beneficiaries are being collected. Officials informed that data entry of details of more than 39,40,556 PDS beneficiaries have been completed out of the popular 63,51,736 beneficiaries.
Moreover, in a bid to strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS), as many as 2653 fair price shops have been opened in the State during past 11 years including 66 new shops in 2014-15. With this the total fair price shops in the PDS system in the State has gone up to 11111.
Officials claim that Chhattisgarh is a model state in Public Distribution System (PDS), in which rations are provided on schedule. Officials of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department said that the State Government had implemented the Public Distribution System (Control) Order on December 23 previous year to monitor the allotments to the fair price shops and for timely lifting and distribution of ration. In order to provide ration to the beneficiaries every month, there are 11111 fair price shops in the State. This includes 9795 shops in rural areas and 1316 shops in urban zone. The gram panchayats are operating 4083 shops while cooperative societies are operating 4361 shops. Besides this 2458 shops are being run by the women Self Help Groups, 152 shops by Forest Protection Societies and 56 shops are being run by the urban bodies.