Ration cards are being issued through online application software at District level in Tamil Nadu

Ration cards are being issued through online application software at District level in Tamil Nadu

Public Distribution System (PDS) : Several initiatives taken by State Governments

Initiatives Towards Computerization of PDS
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has given top priority to Public Distribution System (PDS) reforms which include improvement of infrastructure for distribution and storage of PDS food grains. State Governments have been urged to take initiatives to computerize system and adopt best practices of management. Accordingly, States have taken several initiatives. As per information received from the States some of them are as under:

Andhra Pradesh
Digitization of ration card database of all the beneficiaries has been completed
-          Aadhaar enrolment is currently in progress in seven districts
-          State Civil Supplies Department has decided to implement Smart Card based solution in all Fair Price Shops (FPSs) covering entire Andhra Pradesh State in a phased manner.
-          As a pilot, Smart Cards have been issued to the beneficiaries covering all the 36 Fair Price Shops in Maheswaram Mandal in Rangareddy District.  Theses 36 FPSs are also equipped with PoS terminals for the purpose of commodity distribution.
-          A grievance redressal module developed and put in place to log the calls from citizens.
A pilot has been done in Krishna & Nellore districts for monitoring of transportation of essential commodities by using GPS from MLS point to FPS. This is for stage II transportation. After the pilot is over, the same will soon be extended to other districts.

Chhattisgarh
Unified Ration Card database: New bar-coded Ration Cards have been issued. The maintenance of the ration cards database is done through a web based module.
-          Automated allotment: Chhattisgarh has FPS Database with attached ration card information. This has enabled automated shop-wise allotment by entering per card parameters every month on a web-based application.
-          Chhattisgarh state civil supplies corporation (CGSCSC) Distribution Centre Module is implemented at 120 Warehouses of 108 distribution centres. The stocks and sales figures of previous month of all the FPSs are entered into this module and the actual amount of PDS commodities to be issued to FPS is calculated by this web based software and delivery order and truck challans are issued thereafter. Receipts and movement of commodities between distribution centers is also done through this application. Thus stock position at any point is available on web.
-          Jan Bhagidari: This web site has all information relating to PDS including lists of all Ration Card holders, list of FPS, details of lifting and sales of PDS commodities by FPS etc.
-          Whenever PDS commodities are dispatched to FPS from the warehouse, an e-mail message and an SMS is sent to all the e-mail Ids and mobile numbers registered for that FPS.
-          Call-Centre with a toll free number is in place to get necessary information about food department and lodging of complaints. Complaints are monitored at all levels though the system.
-          Reports like ration card holder details, FPS details, FPS wise allotment and lifting details rice procurement details and complaints lodged and their status are generated by system on web, which are accessible to the public.

Gujarat
Comprehensive application form prescribed for issuance of bar coded Ration Card in lieu of existing Rations Cards.
-          Photograph & biometric details of at least one family member of the Card holder at the time of issuance of Bard coded Ration Cards is being carried out initially.
-          Delivery of food grains through bio-metric based bar coded coupon system started on pilot basis in village Moriya (Banaskantha) in April 2011.
-          Complete computerisation process for allocation and distribution of essential commodities to FPS likely by June 2011.

Himachal Pradesh
Issuance of smart card on biometric basis will be taken up as pilot project in Mashobra and Shimla districts as soon as Aadhaar numbers are issued.
-          Enrolment work under UIDAI is likely to be completed by end of year 2011.
-          Fully computerizing TPDS including issue of smart card in place of ration card is being planned.
 
Karnataka
The data of all families falling within the PDS have been computerized. In addition to the particulars like name, gender, income and photographs of the beneficiaries, the fingerprint bio-metrics of all the beneficiary families have been captured.
-          An exercise to identify ineligible ration cards and improve the database is going on.
-          The computerisation of the taluk offices and godowns and connecting the systems to the department database is to be undertaken.
-          Action initiated to set-up electronic weighbridges in all godowns and links them to State and FCI network.
-          UID project has been taken up on pilot basis in two districts of the State. Once the UID project is extended to all the districts of the State, UID numbers of the beneficiaries will be incorporated in the beneficiary database.
-          Panchayats are processing beneficiary data and managing distribution system using the broadband connections provided to them. Village panchayats in the State are now being used to set right the beneficiary database.
-          The ration card beneficiary data has already been transferred to the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department database which is accessed by the panchayats.

Maharashtra
State is planning to undertake pilot project of ePDS in Satara district, which involves linkages with UIDAI and end to end solution of PDS from allocation to distribution of foodgrains to beneficiaries.
-          The proposed application software will have five modules, viz. Smart Card Management, FPS Management, Supply Chain Management, Back Office Application and Control & Monitoring.
-          Composite form for ‘Know Your Resident’ (KYR) data and KYR +finalized.
-          Integration software for KYR & KYR + has also been finalized in consultation with representatives of UIDAI at State level.
-          For State PDS application software, the Gap analysis is being done in consultation with STP and NIC, so as to customize the software application already developed by the NIC team for the State.
-          AADHAAR enrolment has started and 14 lakh enrolments have already been done in the State.

Meghalaya
Department has launched a website, namely, http://megfcsca.gov.in/. The Department has also activated the online submission of price reports with effect from April 2010. The data is available at http://www.fcainfoweb.nic.in/pms.
-          A software application to automate the workflow procedures related to the process of issue of Ration Card has been developed by NIC.
-          Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills has successfully initiated the implementation of a computerized APL Family Identity (FI) Card for the consumer of entire Greater Shillong. Database entry and distribution of computerized FI Cards in Greater Shillong has been completed.
-          Remaining Districts and Sub-Divisions are being covered so that the project work throughout the State is achieved.
-          Bar-coded coupon system software application has been developed by NIC Meghalaya to ensure delivery of foodgrains to all AAY beneficiaries has been done and printed coupons have been dispatched to the districts and sub-divisions.
-          Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Govt. of India has sanctioned the cost of the PDS Management System project which is Rs.43 lakh. The project has been entrusted to NIC and the Supply Office of East Khasi Hill,s District Shillong has been selected as the pilot site for implementation of this project, development of software modification is at a preparatory stage.

Puducherry
State has commenced the process of Computerization of PDS in collaboration with NIC through development of Common Application Software.
-          The enrolment process for issue of Aadhaar based biometric smart cards to the residents for implementing smart card based PDS is in progress.
Rajasthan
-          A consultant has been engaged to study the existing status of computerization and prepare a DPR and RFP in the next three months.
-          The present on-going efforts for computerization would be integrated with the UID project.

Sikkim
Digitized individual Ration Cards with photographs are in use since e 2002.
-          Proposal to issue biometric ration cards is being considered.
-           Consumers help line to address the grievances of the public.

Tamil Nadu
Allotment of Essential Commodities to FPS is being made through Online System from December 2008. Allotment details are put on website for public scrutiny at www.consumer.tn.gov.in. Online allotment system is being used by all Taluk Supply Officers.  Data from this portal is made available to public through SMS.
-          It has been decided by TN Government to utilize the biometric data base of citizen of Tamil Nadu which will be available with Unique Identification Authority of India/Registrar of India (census) after capturing biometric data base which is a part of National Project Register/UID Project.
-          Currently, ration cards are being issued through online application software at District level.
-          Online billing machines have been installed in about 1597 shops/kerosene bunks in the State.  All fair price shops will get Electronic Billing Machines in a phased manner.
-          Vehicles carrying TPDS food grains are fitted with ‘Global Positionaing System (GPS)’ for monitoring movement of foodgrains from FCI to Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) godowns to ensure the grains reaches TNCSC godown without diversion of pilferage enroute.
-          Movement of commodities from TNCSC godowns to FPS is tracked through a GSM based SIM card in mobile phones carried by a movement assistant in border districts of Thiruvallur & Krishnagiri districts.
-          Four (4) FPSs in Chennai city are also enabled with closed circuit TVs (CCTVs) monitoring on trial basis.
 
West Bengal
Computer & allied accessories were provided to all District Officers (DCF&S), Regional Offices (R.O.s & DDR), Sub-Divisional Offices (SCF&S) and block.