Haryana to have ‘grain ATMs’ across state

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government is planning to install “grain ATMs” across all the government-run ration depots to ensure speedy and transparent distribution of wheat, rice and millet among the eligible ration card holders.

Already, as a pilot project, and in what the government says “country’s first grain ATM” has become functional in Farrukhnagar of Gurugram.

“The grain banks will function on the lines of ATM system, and the consumer will be able to fetch food grains from the machine with the press of a button,” deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the portfolio of food and civil supplies, said in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

He said that after the successful completion of this pilot project at Farrukhnagar, there is a plan to install such food grain supply machines at government depots across the state.

Dushyant said the machines will help in fast distribution of food grains to the depot operators as well as the beneficiaries. The grain ATMs will be installed under the World Food Programme of United Nation and is called automated, multi commodity, grain dispensing machine.

How the machine works

According to Ankit Sood, an officer associated with this programme, the error in the measurement of grain is negligible and this machine can dispense up to 70-kg grains in 5-7 minutes. It is equipped with a biometric system and a touch screen. The beneficiary has to enter the Aadhar card or ration card unique number. On authentication, the food grains prescribed by the government to the beneficiary will be released into the bags installed under the machine. Wheat, rice and millet can be distributed through this machine.