(a) whether the Government has undertaken a project for installing Global Positioning System
(GPS) in all the vehicles carrying Public Distribution System (PDS) foodgrains in all the
States/UTs;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the current status of the project for computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution
System and smart card based delivery of essential commodities?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a) and (b): Â 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.
State Government of Tamil Nadu, who have implemented the scheme in two districts, have
reported that it has helped in the quantities of foodgrains 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.
In view of the feedback received from these State Governments, it has been decided to extend
this scheme to all the States/UTs.
(c): 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.