Reform PDS by digitising the system: Pawar

Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said the time is ripe to introduce reforms in public distribution system (PDS) by digitising the entire system.

"Computerisation of the entire network of targeted public distribution system (TPDS) operation is a must and should be completed in a time-bound manner," Pawar said speaking at a conference of food secretaries here.

He said the government has already initiated the process of computerisation of PDS network up to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) delivery point.

"It is essential that our efforts in this direction to be accelerated so as to cover the entire distribution chain from the procurement process and ending with retail distribution at fair price shop level," Pawar said while adding, states should also simultaneously take up such networking at their end.

The minister said, use of technologies such as global positioning systems for tracking of movement of PDS commodities, bar-coded ration coupons, digitisation of ration card database and smart cards would also help in bring changes in the system and it need to be taken up.

"The time has come to have a re-look at the way it has been functioning and introduce reforms so as to make our TPDS more efficient and responsive to the changing socio-economic milieu," Pawar said.