PDS gets new face in 4 new cities in Chhattisgarh

Aimed to revamp the public distribution system across the state, the Chhattisgarh government had announced to launch the CORE PDS in four new cities. The CORE PDS is based on the latest information technology tools: smart cards, hand-held point-of-sale devices at ration shops and servers that store all data and monitor all transactions. The process weed out pilferage to the black market, remove corruption and make life hassle-free for poor folks. The scheme started in Raipur as a pilot project about two years ago and was later extended to Durg and Rajnandgaon district. The state government intend to cover more and more cities under the CORE PDS and had been working on the project. "At the collectors' conference (held here Wednesday), chief minister Raman Singh has announced to include four new cities under the scheme," a state government spokesperson said. The new cities where the public distribution system will go hi-tech include Raigarh, Bilaspur, Ambikapur and Chirmiri.