Cuttack: The state govt on Monday launched its third Annapurti Grain ATM in Dhenkanal, allowing beneficiaries under public distribution system (PDS) to collect foodgrains round-the-clock.Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra inaugurated the facility. Developed jointly by the state govt and United Nations World Food Programme, the automated system aims to make ration distribution faster, more transparent and convenient for beneficiaries.Dhenkanal is the third city in Odisha to get the facility after Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda.Patra said the initiative would free beneficiaries from fixed operating hours of fair price shops and offer greater flexibility in accessing their monthly ration entitlement. “The grain ATM is an important step towards making the foodgrain distribution system more transparent, efficient and beneficiary-friendly. With 24×7 access, people can collect their entitled ration at a time convenient to them,” he said.Dhenkanal collector Ashish Ishwar Patil said the facility would particularly benefit people who find it difficult to visit ration shops during regular working hours. “The Annapurti Grain ATM will make ration distribution more accessible and convenient. It will also help improve transparency and accuracy in the delivery of foodgrains,” Patil said.Officials said the machine can dispense up to 25 kg of foodgrain in a single transaction. Beneficiaries can also withdraw their monthly entitlement in multiple instalments instead of collecting the entire quota at one time.The ATM operates round-the-clock and can run on solar power. Beneficiaries can avail the service through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication linked to their ration cards.WFP India deputy director Nozomi Hashimoto described the initiative as a blend of technology, hygiene and people-centric service, saying such innovations could help modernise India’s food distribution system.
