"Govt committed to ensure foodgrains reach every needy person": PM Modi as Cabinet approves extension of SARTHAK-PDS scheme
New Delhi, May 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the government is committed to ensuring that food grains reach every needy person on time through the SARTHAK-PDS scheme, underlining that the scheme has been continued.
PM Modi, in an X post, noted that a decision has been taken to make the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) more modern and effective by making delivery, logistics, and transportation arrangements under the PDS more transparent and efficient.
"Our government is committed to ensuring that foodgrains reach every needy person in the country on time through the PDS. In this direction, a decision has been taken to continue making the PDS more modern and effective. This will make the delivery, logistics, and transportation arrangements under the PDS more transparent and efficient, while also speeding up the resolution of complaints," the Prime Minister said.
Earlier today, the Central government announced the SARTHAK-PDS scheme with a total outlay of Rs 25,530 crore aimed at modernising the Public Distribution System (PDS), improving logistics and introducing artificial intelligence-based systems for beneficiary management and grievance redressal.
During a cabinet briefing today, according to the details shared, the SARTHAK-PDS scheme will run for five years from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031.
The scheme includes assistance to state agencies for intra-state movement of food grains, support for fair price shops and modernisation of the public distribution system.
As part of the next phase of SMART PDS, the government also announced the introduction of three major AI-enabled modules named NIRMAL, ASHA and SAKSHAM.
The NIRMAL platform will function as an AI-driven real-time PDS beneficiary registry and will provide live inter-ministry integration along with cross-scheme convergence.
The ASHA module has been designed as a multilingual AI grievance and citizen engagement platform that will operate through calls, WhatsApp, IVRS and chatbots. According to the government, the system will be scalable to handle up to 3 lakh interactions per day.
The SAKSHAM platform will work as an AI-enabled supply chain system with vehicle tracking, QR traceability, demand forecasting and route optimisation features.
The government said the new technology-driven system is expected to improve the identification of eligible beneficiaries and increase citizen satisfaction levels.
The government also stated that the scheme is expected to reduce the travel distance of food grains by 15 to 50 per cent, helping save food grains and encouraging local procurement.
The logistics improvements under the programme are projected to generate annual savings of around Rs 280 crore along with a 35 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.
The scheme will also introduce QR-coded tags for food grain bags and vehicle location systems to improve transparency and monitoring across the supply chain.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but I hope the money reaches the grassroots properly. Rs 25,530 crore is a huge amount. Need to ensure there's no corruption in implementation. The AI modules sound fancy but what about the old fair price shop owners who can't handle digital systems? Need proper training too.
This is exactly what we needed. The PDS system in Tamil Nadu has been decent but could be better. AI-based grievance redressal via WhatsApp and IVRS in multiple languages - that's inclusive and practical. Reducing food grain travel distance by 15-50% and saving Rs 280 crore annually is impressive. Well done, government! 👏
Great to see India embracing technology for welfare schemes. The 35% carbon emission reduction target is also commendable. However, I'm curious about the implementation timeline - why does it start from April 2026? That's almost two years away. People need help now, especially after the pandemic disruptions.
One concern: will these AI systems actually work in remote areas with poor internet? My village in Uttarakhand still has connectivity issues. Also, what about data privacy for beneficiaries? The NIRMAL platform integrating with other ministries sounds like a lot of personal data being shared. Hope there are safeguards. 🤔
Finally moving towards SMART PDS! The ASHA platform handling 3 lakh calls per day is ambitious. As someone who works in rural development, QR-coded bags and vehicle tracking will really help reduce leakages. But we need to ensure fair price shops get proper infrastructure support too. Not just technology but basic amenities like electricity and storage
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