Dhenkanal: Odisha on Monday introduced the ‘Annapurna Grain ATM’ in Dhenkanal, a technology-based food grain distribution system aimed at making the public distribution system simpler, faster, transparent and more convenient for beneficiaries.
The initiative has been launched jointly by the Odisha Government and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), with the advanced grain dispensing system inaugurated by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and Nozomi Hashimoto, Deputy Director of the UN World Food Programme in India.
Speaking on the occasion, Hashimoto described the initiative as a combination of technology, transparency and humanitarian service and said it could contribute to modernising India’s food distribution system.
“I am extremely proud of this innovation. Because it is a people-centric innovation,” she said, adding that the true significance of technology lies in its ability to touch the lives of ordinary people and make their lives easier.
The Grain ATM has been designed keeping in view the existing logistics system and can dispense up to 25 kg of food grains at a time, said Himanshu Bal, Head of WFP’s Odisha Field Office.
A key feature of the system is that beneficiaries will not be required to collect their entire monthly entitlement at one time. For instance, a family entitled to 50 kg of rice in a month can collect the ration in multiple instalments according to its convenience and requirement within the month.
The machine can operate round the clock, seven days a week, enabling beneficiaries to collect their entitled food grains without being restricted by the operating hours of a ration shop. It can also function using solar power, according to the release.
The process has been designed to be user-friendly. Beneficiaries are required to enter their ration card number on the e-POS device and verify their details, following which their entitlement is displayed on the screen. They then undergo Aadhaar-based biometric authentication through fingerprint verification.
After checking the available ration and required quantity, the beneficiary has to place a bag under the designated grain outlet and press the ‘Dispense/Start Distribution’ option on the screen. The machine dispenses the food grains within a few seconds, following which the beneficiary can collect the ration and confirm the transaction displayed on the screen.
The initiative is expected to enhance transparency and accuracy in food grain distribution while reducing the time and effort required by beneficiaries to access their entitled ration.
