MNS:- 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. This information was given by the Minister of State (IC) for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Prof. K.V.Thomas in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
The Minister said that 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.
Prof. Thomas said that in view of the feedback received from these State Governments, it has been decided to extend this scheme to all the States/UTs. 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.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/gps-in-pds-vehicles/
