FCS&CA Deptt wins Silver SKOCH Award for SMARTPDS implementation

Srinagar, Mar 28: The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Jammu and Kashmir, has been conferred the Silver SKOCH Award at the 106th SKOCH Summit held in New Delhi for the successful implementation of the SMART Public Distribution System (SMARTPDS) across the Union Territory.

The award recognises the department’s efforts in enhancing transparency, efficiency, and beneficiary empowerment in the public distribution system, while also achieving savings in food grain management and handling costs.

The SMARTPDS initiative has been implemented under the leadership of Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, FCS&CA.

Officials said Jammu and Kashmir is among the top nine States/UTs in the country to implement the project and ranks first among Union Territories in its execution.

The SMARTPDS project incorporates multiple components aimed at modernising the distribution system, including Ration Card Management System (RCMS), end-to-end supply chain management, e-KYC, rightful targeting of beneficiaries, and route optimisation. It also integrates migrant beneficiaries with the National Food Security Act (NFSA) database.

In addition, several digital applications such as Mera Ration and Anna Mitra, along with Aadhaar-based Point of Sale (PoS) machines, have been deployed to streamline the delivery of food grains and improve service delivery. The award was received by Anil Sharma, Regional Resident Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir, on behalf of Saurabh Bhagat at the summit.

Officials said the recognition highlights the Union Territory’s commitment to leveraging technology for improving governance and ensuring efficient delivery of essential services to beneficiaries.