Ration card holders in Delhi will soon be able to track ration distribution and addition and deletion of names of their family members in the card online under the Delhi government's SMART-PDS project, officials said on Thursday.
The government is in the process of upgrading and reforming the public distribution system (PDS) in Delhi through technology driven interventions, under the Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System (SMART-PDS) project, they said.
The Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs department of the Delhi government has formed a 16 member User Acceptance Testing Committee (UAT) to overview and test all options available on the Ration Card Management System (RCMS) app onboarded onto the SMART-PDS platform, a senior government officer said.
The committee comprising assistant commissioners of the department in the 13 districts and other officers, will also suggest improvements and modification in the app.
The SMART-PDS platform, which is part of a Centre-sponsored initiative, enables realtime status check of ration at PDS shops, issuance of ration cards, addition of names of new members in the family or deletion of names of those deceased. It will ensure a faster, safer and efficient public distribution system and remove irregularities and malpractice, officials said.
The platform will convert the ordinary ration cards into smart ration cards, and will be equipped with features of biometric and facial authentication preventing leakage of food grains and other essential items distributed under the PDS, they said.
Digital transaction recording, distribution through fair price shops and technology enabled monitoring facilities will overhaul the entire public distribution system in the city, they said.
Another significant feature of SMART-PDS is nationwide portability of ration cards under the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ programme, enabling eligible beneficiaries to access their quota of foodgrains and other essentials from any fair price shop in other states.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has already directed for the provision of new smart ration cards featuring QR codes and upgraded digital capabilities to the beneficiaries for strengthening the public distribution system.
Delhi has around 17 lakh ration card holders who receive subsidised foodgrains through the public distribution system.
