Chhattisgarh is amongst the 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 modernizing 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 activities, namely, digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and other databases, computerization 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 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 in 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 PDS, which is transparent and ration 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, 2004 to monitor the allotments to the fair price shops and for timely lifting and distribution of ration.
To provide ration to the beneficiaries every month, there are 11111 fair price shops. This includes 9795 in rural areas and 1316 shops in urban areas.
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 (SHG), 152 shops by Forest Protection Societies and 56 shops are being run by the urban bodies.
At present there are 771 shops in Raigarh, 763 in Rajnandgaon, 756 shops in Bilaspur, 622 in Janjgir-Champa, 578 in Durg, 565 in Raipur, 522 in Mahasamund, 515 shops in Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara, 424 in Jashpur, 415 in Korba, 414 in Balod and 403 shops each in Kanker and Surajpur.
Similarly 394 fair price shops are being run in Surguja, 388 in Kabirdham, 375 in Bastar, 356 in Bemetara, 345 in Balrampur-Ramanujganj, 314 shops each in Gariaband and Mungeli districts, 299 in Koriya, 278 in Kondagaon, 171 in Bijapur, 142 in Sukma, 136 in Dantewada and 76 fair price shops are being run in Narayanpur district.
In a bid to further improve the Public Distribution System in Chhattisgarh, the State Government has identified 20 officers from Civil Supplies Corporation and State Warehousing Corporation who would carry out surprise inspections of godowns in all the 27 districts of the State.
Notably, Chief Minister Raman Singh had ordered senior officers of both the departments to carry out surprise inspections of godowns in a raid style on their levels, so that constant watch could be kept over the availability of ration on the ground level. Chhattisgarh has also already achieved 100 per cent digitisation of the PDS beneficiaries database.
There are 23 other states in the country which have also achieved 100 per cent digitization of the PDS database.
State Government has also made a provision of Rs4,700 crore for implementation of ‘Chief Minister Food and Nutrition Security scheme’ in the State budget 2015-16.
The Government had made a provision of Rs1.75 crore in the form of extension of ‘Core PDS’ for its ‘Meri Marzi Scheme.’
Chhattisgarh’s Public Distribution System (PDS) model has gram panchayats, co-operative societies and women's self help groups (SHGs) operating the fair price shops, officials stated. About 90 % of the masses are covered under Food and Nutrition Security Act was implemented in 2013, officials stated.
Chhattisgarh’s PDS under Antyodaya and Priority families schemes provides 35 kg foodgrains at Re 1 per kilo. Since June 2014 single member category ration card-holders under destitutes segment are provided 10 kg food grains free of cost.