QR tags to track rice bags in Punjab

After wheat, Punjab will introduce unique QR tags on rice bags during the upcoming paddy procurement season, giving each bag a digital identity and enabling its movement to be tracked from mills to storage facilities and finally to fair price shops (FPS).

The move, mandated by the Centre, aims to make foodgrain movement more transparent, plug gaps in the public distribution system (PDS) and check pilferage, diversion and misuse of bags across consignments.

The QR tag will be stitched onto each rice bag after milling and will carry details including the procuring agency, procurement centre, crop season, commodity and a unique serial number. The bag will be scanned at the mill before being sent for storage and subsequently at FCI or state godowns, buffer godowns and FPS.

The Centre has made 100 per cent scanning mandatory at rice mills and at FPSs for both wheat and rice.

Officials said the initiative follows a pilot conducted in 19 Punjab districts in April, during which nearly 10 lakh QR codes were procured, including around 7.5 lakh used on wheat bags. The Department of Food and Public Distribution, in its September 2 directive, asked Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Telangana to implement QR tagging.

The QR system will replace existing rexine slips, with information earlier recorded manually now digitally embedded in the tag. Digitally signed and encrypted codes will help prevent duplication and must remain scannable for three years. Mobile phones and handheld scanners can be used for scanning.

Punjab Principal Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Rahul Tiwari said the codes would contain details about procurement, including the farmer, arhtiya, procurement agency and storage location.

He said the system would enable authorities to trace foodgrain consignments, including when they are transported to other parts of the country, particularly in cases involving quality concerns.