New Doorstep Ration Delivery Approach: Explanation-video demonstration-Advantages-challenges

 Recently, CM of West Bengal Mamta Banerjee has promised in her manifesto promising doorstep ration delivery in every corner of the State. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal too has promised such move. Let's not go into the technicality of their approaches but only limit ourselves to this New and innovative approach to make this amazing idea into reality. In this blog we'll going to have an New and Innovative idea to distribute the dry food grain(DFGs) at doorstep, Employment for local people ranging from illiterate to literate, Machines to be used, and many more things..

Following things may need to realize this new approach:

-Jute/Plastic bag lebelled with Bar Code.

-Packing Company, since bags to be packed may be in very huge number.

-Govt issued bar-coded ration card, each card should have information, like Name of breadwinner, number of family members, quantity of  dry food grains(DFGs) to be received by the beneficiary etc.

-Bar code reading machine, this machine should read and store the data of both distributed food grain bags and beneficiary's ration card.

-A computer based software, this is to make a audit of distributed food grains.

-An operator, who knows the geography of the area, actually he/she will distribute the bags of packed food grains.

Packing of DFGs

Working of this Approach:

To Understand this new approach, first, let's have a look on the existing practice of distribution of subsidized DFGs. Govt procures the food grain directly from the farmers at MSP rate, after procurement these food grains transported to FCI godown. All States/UTs raised their demand for quantity of food grains to be distributed at different PDS centres of the States for the final distribution among poverty-stricken. To avoid discrimination and to give proper share of food grains, Govt has made schemes like Antyodaya anna yojana(AAY), Yellow Ration card, APL/BPL types of beneficiaries etc. Each beneficiaries have to report at the PDS centre of their area to receive the subsidized DFGs.

Now, come to the new approach- Up to the storage of food grains at FCI godowns, everything is same. Instead of transporting the DFGs to PDS centres, it should be transported to Automatic/Computer-operated packing company. In this Company Jute/Plastic bags may be filled with DFGs, after filling, each bag should be lebelled with unique Bar-Code. Quantity of DFGs and size of bags may be decided according to the number of APL/BPL/AAY beneficiaries. This may be the background work for the administration of the States/UTs.

To make this amazing idea into reality, each beneficiaries should be given a Bar-Coded Ration Card irrespective of BPL/APL/AAY types. These bar-coded ration cards must have details like Name of the breadwinner, type of card, number of family members, quantity to be received etc.

A Govt appointed person with bar-code reading machine may reach to the beneficiary's home for delivery of DFGs, he/she should ask for the Govt issued bar-coded ration card, scan the ration card with machine and get the information about the type of ration card, after knowing every thing, he/she should scan the packed bag of DFG which has already a bar-coded lebel attached on it. The purpose of the bar-code is to make a link between beneficiary's ration card and the delivered bad of DFG. Actually, this link may help a lot at the time of audit of distribution of total DFGs. When all the bags full of DFGs are distributed among beneficiaries, stored data in bar-code reading machine must be audited in a computer-based software, this is to have a overlook on the distribution process.

Advantages:

-Govt jobs to the local youths including women job seekers, packing of DFGs may provide jobs to the women.

-This approach may eliminate shortcomings of existing PDS centres based distribution system. Since there were complaints regarding distribution of inferior quality of food grains, not issuance of sanctioned quantity of DFGs to the beneficiaries etc.

-Audit system after the distribution of DFGs may provide Transparency, Accountability, and status on timely delivery.

-Chances of collusion, corruption, and other malpractices may be removed.

-This approach may provide a sense of satisfaction among beneficiaries, since there is no need to stand in queue.

-Completely eliminate existing problems of not matching of finger prints at PDS centres etc.

Challenges:

-Chances of cyber attack on computers attached to the system to make audit of distribution of DFGs.

-Political interference on executing the approach.

Conclusion:

After making lots of changes in distribution of DFGs at PDS centres and in other related areas, no one can say that everything is perfect and things are moving without any malpractices. The above approach may provide a way forward to eliminate all unnecessary hindrances in achieving a foolproof method of distribution of DFGs.