Three grain ATMs installed in UP to dispense monthly ration to card-holders

Standing in a long queue outside the ration shop to get the monthly ration has become a thing of the past, as the unique Annapurti grain ATM installed here at a fair price shop takes merely 30 seconds to dispense wheat and rice to the ration card holder.

The grain ATM was installed in the Jankipuram area of the state capital on March 15, and so far, it has dispensed grains (rice and wheat) to nearly 100-150 ration card holders.

Elaborating further about the grain ATM, which gives a real bank ATM-like feeling, Pankaj Giri at whose fair price shop the machine is installed, told PTI, "This grain ATM started on March 15. The government has provided it. Before installing the grain ATM, it took nearly 2-3 minutes to give the foodgrains.

"But, now with the grain ATM, this time has come down to 30 seconds. So far, grains have been dispensed to 100-150 ration card holders through the new machine."

He added that officials imparted training and the operational mechanism of the machine to him, before the commencement of distribution.

"There is no scope of under-weighing of foodgrains, which are being distributed through this grain ATM," Giri said and added that even the common public (who are not ration card holders) became curious in knowing about the new machine, and its working.

Meanwhile, UP's minister of state for Food and Civil Supplies Satish Sharma, told PTI, "Seven such grain ATMs have started functioning in the country. Of these, three are located in UP. These are in Lucknow, Varanasi and Gorakhpur."

Explaining the working of the machine, Sharma said that after a ration card holder puts his thumb on the ePOS machine at the fair price shop (and the biometric verification is done), the ration card holder will get 3 kg of rice and 2 kg of wheat.

"This machine will definitely reduce the under-weighing, a practice which was prevalent earlier, and will infuse transparency, thereby giving the amount of ration to the card holder, which he/she is entitled to," Sharma said.