(a) whether the Government has considered to adopt the system of providing ration to the beneficiaries through bio-metric process under modern technique and any other modern procedure to check corruption in the public distribution system;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) if not, the reasons therefor and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(d) the various corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (d): With a view to modernizing the Public Distribution System and to address various challenges such as leakages and diversion of foodgrains, Government is implementing a scheme on ‘End-to-End Computerization of PDS Operations’ in association with the States/UTs. The Scheme also includes modernising the foodgrains distribution process by installation of electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices at Fair Price Shops (FPSs) for the biometric/Aadhaar authentication of eligible beneficiaries, electronic capturing of sale transactions at FPSs, etc. Presently, out of 5.34 lakh FPSs in the country, 3.61 lakh FPSs have been automated so far.
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