Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi today said ensuring food security requires not only higher agricultural production but also scientific storage and efficient distribution of foodgrains.
The Minister said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Smart Warehousing System and felicitation programme for best-performing warehouses of the Food Corporation of India in New Delhi today. He noted that technology and digitalisation have transformed the Public Distribution System and strengthened transparency in foodgrain distribution. He added that nearly 98.5 per cent of foodgrains distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana are Aadhaar-authenticated through e-PoS devices.
The Minister noted that digitisation has helped identify ineligible ration card holders, while the One Nation One Ration Card initiative has ensured food security for migrant beneficiaries across the country. Emphasising that technology should serve the common citizen, Mr Joshi said digital reforms must improve efficiency, transparency and accountability in the food security system. He directed officials to ensure effective implementation of technology at the field level and asked warehouses to provide complete CCTV coverage of truck movement and vehicle registration numbers within 45 days.
