Installation
of Global Positioning System (GPS) sets had been taken up for implementation in
11th Five Year Plan on pilot basis in States of Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh for
tracking the movement of vehicles transporting Targeted Public Distribution
System (TPDS) commodities. This information was given by the Minister of State
(IC) for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Prof. K.V.Thomas in a
written reply in the Lok Sabha.
The
Minister said that State Government of Tamil Nadu, who have implemented the
scheme in two districts, have reported that it has helped in the quantities of
food grains allotted from Food Corporation of India (FCI) to the intended
godowns reaching without diversion; created moral fear among those involved in
transportation of PDS items; enabled tracking the movement of vehicles carrying
PDS items at short notice and avoided delays in transportation. State
Government of Chhattisgarh has intimated that after installation of GPS sets in
trucks transporting TPDS commodities, they are reaching their destination
properly and no irregularities have since been found.
Prof.
Thomas said that in view of the feedback received from these State Governments,
it has been decided to extend this scheme to all the States/UTs. This
Department had taken up a pilot scheme on Computerization of TPDS Operations to
be implemented in 3 districts of 4 States i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Chhattisgarh and Delhi. As reported by these States, digitization of databases
and computerization of supply- chain management have been completed in Delhi
and Chhattisgarh. In Andhra Pradesh, entire ration card database has been
digitized and supply-chain computerization is in progress. In the State of
Assam, work of digitization of databases is being undertaken. Another scheme
for Smart Card based delivery of essential commodities is being undertaken on pilot
basis in Chandigarh UT and Haryana. In the State of Haryana, the project has
been implemented in 4 blocks whereas in Chandigarh UT, it has been completed in
13 Fair Price Shops (FPS). These pilot schemes are proposed to be subsumed
under the Plan Scheme on End-to-end Computerization of TPDS Operations, which
is being implemented in all States/UTs.
