JAIPUR: Rajasthan is set to introduce automated “grain ATMs” for ration distribution, a move aimed at easing congestion at fair price shops and improving delivery for more than 4.35 crore beneficiaries covered under the state’s food security scheme.The rollout will begin with pilot installations in Jaipur, Bharatpur and Bikaner, with operations expected to start soon. The machines will allow beneficiaries to collect their entitled quota of wheat, rice and pulses in a manner similar to withdrawing cash from a bank ATM.“We have already selected locations in the three districts of Jaipur, Bharatpur and Bikaner. The project is developed under the United Nations World Food Programme initiative. Now the central govt and officials from the UN would approve these locations and initiate project,” stated Ambrish Kumar, food and civil supply department secretary.Officials said in Jaipur, locations have been identified near the Moti Doongri Ganesh Temple and in Sanganer for the pilot phase.“The system will gradually expand statewide after the pilot phase. Beneficiaries will be able to withdraw grain using their ration cards from these machines, regardless of which city they are in,” stated, food and civil Supplies minister Sumit Godara.The machines, named Annapurti, are designed to dispense ration quickly and with minimal human involvement. Officials said the system is expected to reduce waiting time, remove manual weighing errors and improve transparency in the Public Distribution System.“At present, beneficiaries need to visit ration shops, where their ration cards are verified manually or through biometric authentication. Shop operators then weigh and distribute grain, often resulting in delays, long queues and occasional complaints of under-weighing. Here the beneficiaries just need to click twice or thrice to get their entitled quota of ration,” another official added.The initiative marks a technology-driven shift in ration delivery in Rajasthan, where the government is seeking to modernise the PDS and make access more convenient for beneficiaries. If the pilot succeeds, the state plans a wider expansion, potentially allowing ration card holders to access foodgrain from automated machines across Rajasthan without being tied to a single distribution point.
