New Delhi: All 19.79 crore ration cards issued under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) as on date have been digitized under the Public Distribution System reforms and all the States and UTs have developed their transparency portal or PDS portal too, said Union Minister of State for Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha recently.

Under the Public Distribution System (PDS) reforms, nearly 100 per cent automation of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) has also been achieved, that is, nearly 5.33 lakh out of 5.34 lakh FPSs by installing electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at FPSs for biometric authentication of beneficiaries and electronic capturing of transaction data, to ensure rightful targeting of NFSA beneficiaries.

Around 95 per cent of total allocated foodgrains across the country are being distributed through these ePoS devices, post biometric or Aadhaar authentication of beneficiaries. The government has approved the supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and in Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) of Government of India in all States and UTs by 2024, in a phase-wise manner.

At present 27 States and UTs are distributing fortified rice through TPDS. As on March 5, 2023, approximately 95.72 lakh metric ton (LMT) of fortified rice has been distributed through TPDS under Phase-II. Nearly 100 per cent FPS are having electronic-Point of Sales (e-PoS) devices for Aadhaar authenticated distribution of foodgrains to rightful beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA). /BI/