‘Expand SMART-PDS with better multilingual support’

Expand the SMART-PDS system across the nation with better multilingual support, usability and grievance redressal, interoperability, cyber security, real-time monitoring, technical helpdesks and standard implementation across all states and UTs, recommended the parliamentary panel report, ‘Modernisation of PDS: Strengthening Technical Database’. The SMART-PDS (Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System) is a government initiative to digitise and unify the ration distribution network.

The parliamentary panel further highlighted that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs had identified 2.91 crore suspect beneficiaries under various red-flag categories, including 5,60,775 beneficiaries above 100 years of age, 2,11,682 single-member ration cards with beneficiaries below 18 years, 2,20,00,768 silent ration cards, 30,06,911 duplicate beneficiaries and 34,12,532 deceased beneficiaries according to the Aadhaar status.

"The verification of red-flag beneficiaries should be completed in a time-bound mission mode with mandatory field investigation. At the same time, utmost care must be taken to prevent wrongful exclusion of eligible beneficiaries through robust safeguards and grievance redressal mechanisms," it said.

Additionally, the panel noted that the cash transfer scheme under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) framework has been operational in Puducherry and Chandigarh since September 2015, and in part of Dadra and Nagar Haveli since March 2016.

The committee recommends that the department conduct a structured and periodic comparative assessment of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) cash transfer model in these Union Territories compared to physical distribution.

"This assessment should consider parameters such as beneficiary convenience, adequacy and timeliness of subsidy, grievance levels, transparency, and exclusion risks before considering a wider implementation of the DBT model. The committee should also be informed of the outcomes of this study," it said.

The panel, chaired by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, said the Department of Food and Public Distribution should ensure time-bound implementation of SMART-PDS across all states/Union territories, complete integration with agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and other ministries, and establish national dashboards, command-and-control centres, cloud infrastructure and technical helpdesks as core components of the new system.

The committee, however, said these gains must be consolidated by closing gaps in supply-chain computerization, completing pending SMART-PDS modules, and continuing database purification to ensure that food subsidy benefits are redirected to genuine beneficiaries.