Now, GPS devices to prevent pilferage of ration stocks

RANCHI: The state government will monitor trucks carrying food grain with global positioning system (GPS) devices to curb diversion of rations meant for below the poverty line (BPL) families to open markets.

Food and public distribution minister Saryu Roy said on Monday that the web-based tracking would bring transparency in the state’s public distribution system (PDS).

“A central control room will track the movement of ration commodity-laden trucks, fitted with GPS, from Food Corporation of India (FCI) store houses till village PDS shops,” said Roy, adding that the system would also ensure timely distribution of ration among the BPL families.

The GPS, the minister said, will give information on the entry and departure time of a truck from a food godown, details on the type and quantity of the ration the truck is carrying, its route chart and the timing of ration distribution at PDS shops.

The state’s e-PDS programme is now operational at 266 PDS shops in four blocks -- Ormanjhi, Govindpur, Khunti Sadar and Ramgarh Sadar. The programme will be improved and extended to the state’s 22,726 PDS shops covering 33 lakh BPL families.

“Under e-PDS, the consumer will receive an SMS on the availability of ration at a shop. The online tracking system will ensure that genuine PDS beneficiaries get ration,” the minister said.

Under the programme, a biometric system -- a thumb-print-based identification system -linked with the Adhaar number will ensure that the consumer is genuine. “We will install biometric machines at all the PDS shops,” said Roy.

He also instructed officials to make surprise visits to PDS shops to ensure that food grain is not sold in the open market till the new system is fully in place.

A CENTRAL CONTROL ROOM WILL TRACK THE MOVEMENT OF RATION-LADEN TRUCKS, FITTED WITH GPS, FROM THE FCI STORE HOUSES TILL PDS SHOPS

SARYU ROY, state food minister