11 FEB 2018
Digitisation process to check leakage of food grains expected to be completed by May
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Centre’s initiative for digitisation of ration cards and Aadhaar linkage, in a bid to check leakages of food grains under the public distribution system (PDS), has seen at least 35 percent beneficiaries in the State failing to revert.
The State government has, however, begun the process of linking beneficiaries’ Aadhaar numbers with ration cards, with Civil Supplies Minister Govind Gaude optimistic of completing the process by May.
“As many as 3.30 lakh forms (for digitisation) were distributed through fair price shops (being the focal point where beneficiaries turn up for subsidised food and kerosene). The beneficiaries had to fill it up and submit back to the shops latest by January 31, 2018. As per the records, 65 percent forms were received by this date,” he said speaking to Herald.
Even as the process of collating the database was underway, the Minister claimed they have already seeded Aadhaar in ration cards of close to 97 percent of the forms received. “The data entry is underway. The details have been received in hardcopy, which would be transferred to the system. Based on the response since the launch of digital initiative, we have achieved 97 percent target while the remaining will be complete in two or three months,” Gaude said, claiming that a push to digitise the database of beneficiaries and authenticate their identities via Aadhaar will expose fake ration cards.
Regarding those who have not submitted the forms to undergo the procedure, the Minister said. “About 2 or 3000 may not opt for the ration cards anymore. They probably are not in need of subsidised food grains. There were also some beneficiaries who possessed ration cards because it was once a mandatory document, and now it isn’t,” he said.
The minister said that distribution of ration through point of sale (PoS) device will also begin full-fledged by May. “As of now around 42 fair price shops have been equipped with PoS machines. Another 446 PoS machines will be given by April-May,” he added.