Bihar : Grain ATMs will soon dispense rice, wheat in Patna
Patna: Bihar will launch its first three “grain ATMs” under the Annapurti pilot project in urban areas, allowing beneficiaries under the National Food Security Programme to withdraw rice and wheat using Aadhaar authentication. Each machine dispenses up to 50 kg in five minutes, reducing PDS leakage and enhancing transparency.
The Bihar government has given the go-ahead for the opening of the first set of “grain ATMs”, to be known as Annapurti.
Under the Central government’s pilot project, three grain ATMs will be opened in Patna. The first grain ATM in the country was installed at Odisha’s Bhubaneshwar in August 2024.
A grain ATM is an automated machine that dispenses food grains like rice and wheat to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Programme. Beneficiaries authenticate themselves using their Aadhaar card or other identification, then select the type and quantity of grain needed. The machine subsequently dispenses the grains automatically. The transaction is recorded, and the beneficiary’s account is updated.
A grain ATM can dispense up to 50 kg of grain in five minutes. It is designed to consume only 0.6 watts per hour and can be run with the help of solar panels and inverters.
Food and Consumer Protection department secretary Abhay Kumar Singh told The Indian Express, “The Central government has recently sought approval to install grain ATM as part of a pilot project. We have given the go-ahead. We are now identifying three places in Patna (urban area).” He said once the pilot project, which is set to get underway in two-three months, is completed, these machines can be installed in other districts, too.
Bihar is home to more than 8.5 crore beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS), and has more than 50,000 PDS shops. Grain ATMs are expected to curb siphoning of grains from PDS shops.
An RJD leader said, “We would like grain ATMs be installed on a mass scale to ensure transparency. We have long been hearing about a BPL beneficiary getting four kg of grain in place of five kg from several places. But such complaints often go unnoticed. We also hear how PDS grains are sold in the black market by dealers. We welcome the pilot project of grain ATMs in Bihar. This is something that could have been started much earlier.”
A PDS dealer in Patna said, “It is true that PDS shops have always been under scanner and several PDS dealers have also faced action in the past years. It is only through the use of technology like grain ATMs that corruption can be minimised.”
In the last two years, a total of 7,955 PDS dealers have faced action, including 43 licence cancellations, 33 FIRs, and 7,955 show-cause notices, as part of the state government’s efforts to curb irregularities in the system.
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Source : The Indian Express
