Union Minister Paswan launches Online Depot System

Online System to automate all the operations of FCI depots launched by Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in New Delhi on Thursday.

Capturing data online on a real time basis, the system will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. It would help in better monitoring and supervision to reduce leakages and losses.

Launching the “Online Depot System” Ram Vilas Paswan said that sustain efforts by the Government have resulted in significant reforms in PDS. He said bringing depots online is a historic step towards improving functioning of FCI. He said by July this year operations of all the FCI depots will be online and by March, 2017 remaining Depots which include CWC, SWC and hired one will also be online.

Paswan said his Ministry is in touch with the State Governments also to bring operations of their procurement agencies and distribution network online so that from procurement to delivery of foodgrains to the fair price shop become online.

Highlighting recent initiatives to make the foodgrain management more efficient, Paswan said that almost 100% cards have been digitized and about 80,000 Fair Price Shop (FPS) have been provided with bio-metric “Point of Sale Device” for distributing subsidized foodgrains. Such devices will be installed at 3 lakh FPS by March 2017 and by March 2019 all the ration shops in the country will have these devices to make Public Distribution System totally leak proof. He said 45% ration cards have been seeded with Aadhar cards and in next 2 years remaining cards will also be seeded with the Aadhars wherever available.