Odisha Becomes First State To Launch Grain ATM

(MENAFN- IANS) Bhubaneswar, Aug 9 (IANS) Odisha has become the first state in the country that provides 24/7 access to the public distribution system beneficiaries with the launch of a standalone grain dispensing solution, Annapurti Grain ATM at Mancheswar, here on Thursday.

Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Thursday unveiled the Annapurti solution with Nozomi Hashimoto, the Deputy Country Director of World Food Programme (WFP) in India.

"This is a significant initiative in partnership with the World Food Programme to achieve nutritional security in the state, which is focused on food security. The ATMs will be set up across the state to provide food grains to beneficiaries with 24/7 access under the National Food Security Act," Patra said during the launch of the grain ATM. The WFP and Odisha government have been partners for six decades. The dignitaries present during the programme asserted that Odisha has been a pioneer in ensuring food security and fostering innovations that allow citizens, especially marginalised sections, to access their entitlements.

"Odisha presents a success story with global relevance. We are humbled to see the Annapurti solution, a made-in-India globally awarded solution operational in many states, evolving to add more functionalities and features based on a year-long pilot and testing," said the Deputy Country Director for WFP in India.

The Annapurti inaugurated on Thursday has several additional features, such as it is the first standalone solution, providing service 24 hours a day, much like a banking ATM.

With universal access, any beneficiary with a PDS ration card valid in India, regardless of the state and Union Territory, can access their entitlement. Annapurti can dispense grain up to 50 kg in five minutes, with an error rate of 0.01 per cent.

"Once biometric authentication is completed, it provides consistent access to the full food ration. The modular design allows easy assembly based on available space. Annapurti is energy efficient, consuming only 0.6 Watts per hour and can be connected to solar panels for automatic refilling. Units enable 24/7 access, reducing waiting time by 70 per cent," stated the FSCW department sources.

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