The Food and Civil Supplies Department on Tuesday formally launched new-look ration cards with smart features.
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister G.R. Anil presented the first card to Transport Minister Antony Raju at a function here. Similar to ATM cards, the ration cards made of PVC comprise QR and barcodes to obtain the details of the ration card holder.
Mr. Anil said the department had set its sights on launching smart ration cards with embedded integrated circuit (IC) early next year. In addition to the features of the new card, the smart card would enable cash transactions similar to those with ATM cards through ration outlets. Talks were under way with various companies to realise the project.
The Government had initiated steps to establish own godowns in each taluk to phase out the use of the existing rented facilities. The State exchequer incurred an expense of ₹50 crore a year for paying rent. Efforts were also being made to establish permanent buildings for taluk supply offices that functioned from rented buildings, he said.
NIC unit in capital
The Minister, who recently visited the office of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in Hyderabad, said an NIC unit and a nodal officer would function in Thiruvananthapuram from November 15 primarily to rectify server glitches while using ePoS (electronic point of sale) machines in ration outlets. An official would be exclusively assigned with handling such issues at the NIC’s Hyderabad office, he said.
The State Government had been making efforts to procure Jaya variety rice from Andhra Pradesh. Sona Masoori rice being brought from Punjab for ration distribution was not very popular among ration beneficiaries in the State, Mr. Anil said.
Steps to end pilferage
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Secretary Teeka Ram Meena said the Department had decided to adopt drastic measures to rein in pilferage in the public distribution system. GPS-tracking devices would soon be made mandatory for trucks hired to transport ration goods from the godowns to ration outlets. Only 82 of nearly 1,500 transporters had expressed willingness to equip such system.
“Those who refuse to install such devices will not be permitted to transport rice, wheat and other essential goods. There have been rampant complaints of products being siphoned off when they were being transported from the Food Corporation of India godowns,” he said.
Civil Supplies Director D. Sajith Babu and State Informatics Officer (NIC Kerala) P.V. Mohan Krishnan spoke.