Haryana to become first state to get smart cards for PDS

Haryana is set to become the first state to have a smart card for public distribution system (PDS) of grains. The Rs 137.62-crore project, financed entirely by the Union government through its Department of Food, is scheduled to become operational by March this year. The introduction of smart cards would strengthen the PDS network, leading to efficient delivery and less diversion in the open market.

Smart cards would replace the 5.3 million ration cards in the state. In March, the project would be launched in three districts, namely Kaithal, Sonepat and Panchkula and would cover the remaining 18 districts by the end of this calendar year.

These biometric cards will have the monthly entitlement details of the family member stored in them to facilitate transaction at the fair price shops (FPS). It will also have a fingerprint–based password to avoid impersonation, said V S Kundu, managing director, Haryana State Electronic Development Corporation (Hartron).

Hartron is the nodal agency for implementation of the project in the state.

Under the project, the district food and civil supply offices, FPS owners, Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Stores Ltd (CONFED) and Food Corporation of India (FCI) centres will be provided with a smart transaction terminal (STT). The terminal will serve as a single integrated device to perform sales transactions and verification of the finger print of the consumer.

While the initial cost of the project is funded by the central government, operating expenditure from the second year onwards would be borne by the state government. The annual expenditure of implementing the smart card project would be close to Rs 10 crore.

Kundu said the model is suitable for the requirement of Indian states. “This model can be replicated across the states with minor modifications,” he said.