Bihar mulls introducing e-shakti cards for PDS

Laying stress on application of Information Technology for transparency in subsidised foodgrain distribution, Bihar is planning to make available grains to beneficiaries through PDS outlets on the basis of e-shakti smart cards.
State food minister Shyam Rajak today directed the state food corporation and Beltron (Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd) to select two blocks in the state for providing grains through e-shakti cards on experimental basis.
Technology driven e-shakti is a contactless smart card.
Rajak, who presided over a review meeting of food and public distribution department, expressed the state government's commitment to use IT in subsidised foodgrain distribution for complete transparency, an official statement said here.

The government has already implemented supply chain management of PDS implying end-to-end computerisation of targeted public distribution, it said.
Under this, PDS outlet owners are informed about release of grains from the store through SMS. The movement of grains is followed on GPS systems installed on vehicles carrying the grains.

The minister took stock of progress in allotting ration cards to all beneficiaries in urban areas of Patna and was told by officials that it would be completed by June 27.
Rajak directed the Principal Secretary to ensure lifting of foodgrain under PDS and its distribution within a fixed time period.

He also ordered that subsidised foodgrain for the month of April should be distributed by June 30. Similarly, the grains of May should be distributed by July 15, for the month of June by July 30 and of July by August 15.