BHUBANESWAR: The State government will soon pilot a project to dispense ration through automated teller machines (ATMs) to beneficiaries covered under national and State food security programmes.
Informing this to the Assembly on Tuesday, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the facility will be introduced in the urban areas of the State in the first phase. Initially, the service will be available in Bhubaneswar, he added.
A special code card will be provided to the beneficiaries to avail the service. The ATM will be equipped with a biometric system having a touch screen, where the beneficiary will have to enter the Aadhaar or ration card number.
On biometric authentication, foodgrain prescribed by the government to the beneficiaries will be provided through the machines. Majority of the beneficiaries under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and State Food Security Programme (SFSP) are provided rice.
The State government has signed several partnership agreements with the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2021. Transformation of the public distribution system and paddy procurement, grain ATM and smart mobile storage units are some of the projects to be taken up under the agreement.
The country’s first 'Grain ATM' was set up in Gurugram, Haryana last year. This machine has been installed under the World Food Programme and it is called the 'Automated, Multi Commodity, Grain Dispensing Machine'. Uttarakhand government has also introduced the Grain ATM.
HOW IT WORKS
ATM will have a biometric system
Beneficiary has to enter his/her Aadhaar or ration card number
Once authenticated, grains will be provided through ATM