Computerization of Paddy Procurement and Public Distribution System in Chhattisgarh

Public Distribution System is a very important scheme for providing food security to the poor

and needy. The success of this scheme like all other schemes however depends on proper targeting. Because of the huge subsidy involved and also because of the large number of fair price shops complaints of leakages and diversion are common.

In Chhattisgarh an end to end solution based in information technology has been developed and implemented with very encouraging results.

Computerisation of Total Food Grain Supply Chain

The case study is complete process computerization of food grain supply chain in Chhattisgarh from paddy procurement from farmers, its storage, milling and distribution of rice and other commodities to 3.7 million ration card holders through 10,416 Fair Price Shops (FPS). As a part of this project, 1532 Paddy procurement centres, 50 storage centres, all district offices concerned, 99 Civil Supplies Corporation distribution centres and 35 FCI rice receiving centres have been computerized covering six different organizations involved in food grain management.

Call centre with a toll free number 1800-233-3663 is operational from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM to take complaints from citizens and give any desired information about paddy procurement and public distribution. Citizen interface web site is hosted to increase the citizen participation in controlling diversion of PDS commodities. The project can be described in four distinct areas which complete the process computerization of whole food grain supply chain and its monitoring.

4.1 Paddy Procurement and Milling

Paddy is procured from about 1 Million farmers of Chhattisgarh at MSP at 1532 procurement centres spread throughout the state.Paddy procurement at these centres is done through computers. Paddy Procurement Centres are mainly located at village panchayat level and connectivity is not available at most of these centres. Hence a form based stand alone module has been developed for online purchase of paddy and issue of paddy to millers, storage centres and FCI. Cheques for payment to farmers and delivery memos for movement of paddy to different places are printed on computer at real time.

Special importance has been given to on-the-spot generation of cheques on computers as it reduces the delay in payment to about one million farmers.

1532 data entry operators, who are local to the society, were recruited and trained on the operation of PACS Module. An interesting innovation of data transmission through motorcycle riders has ensured near real time data transmission from purchase centres to the central server and vice versa. V-SAT based NICNET connectivity is available in Chhattisgarh at block headquarters in the offices of Janpad Panchayats.

250 Motorcycle riders have been hired to carry data everyday from procurement centre computers to block headquarters, where they upload the data on the central server through the internet. Similarly any new version of software and delivery order details are downloaded from the server at the block level by these motorcycle riders, and carried to the procurement centres.

All operations carried out by the district level offices such as collector office, DMO of MARKFED and DM of CGSCSC as well as head quarters are computerized through web based applications. At all the 50 storage centres of MARKFED, 2 computers each were installed with a form based module to receive and issue paddy. 70 Custom Milled Rice (CMR) receiving centres of CGSCSC (subset of 99 distribution centres) and 35 CMR receiving centres of FCI are using a web module to generate sample slip, analysis report and acknowledgement report .

4.2 Unified Ration Card Database and issue of PDS commodities to Fto FPS

Unified Ration Card database has been prepared. The ration cards are printed using the database. Only

those ration cards having a unique number and a barcode printed through that database, are valid now in Chhattisgarh. Since the entire ration cards database has been computerized shop-wise allocations have now

been automated. Per card allocations are fed into the computer at the State level. Shop-wise allocations are

calculated by the software. All Fair Price Shops are required to give declaration of their stocks and sales in

the previous month before issue of PDS commodities. These figures are entered in the web application at

CGSCSC warehouses. Based on allocation, stock and sales figures of FPS, the actual amount of PDS

commodities to be issued to the FPS is calculated by the software, and a delivery order is issued on the web

application. After the issue of the delivery order a truck challan is issued indicating the truck number,

driver’s name, quantity dispatched etc. The truck challan is also generated using the web application. Thus

information regarding allocations, stocks, issue and sales for each FPS is now available on the central

server. At least 10% of this data is physically verified by the staff of the food department every month, and

action is taken against any FPS giving false declarations.

4.3 Citizen Participation web-site

Citizen awareness and participation in the public delivery system is a major check against diversion and

leakage. Hence a citizen interface website has been created. One can lodge complaints, give suggestions.

This web-site also provides a method of citizen participation to check diversion of trucks carrying PDS commodities to FPS from warehouse. Citizens can register their mobile numbers on this web-site by

selecting one or more FPS of their interest, for participation in the monitoring of PDS. Whenever PDS

commodities are dispatched to the FPS from the warehouse an SMS is automatically sent to the registered

mobile numbers. This message has the truck number, the quantities of PDS commodities being sent by that

truck, and the date and time of dispatch (Figure 1). Thus any one can know exact date and time of truck

dispatch with quantities of commodities. Citizens participating in monitoring of PDS can then check

whether that truck arrived at the FPS carried full quantities dispatched. They can even get PDS

commodities unloaded and stored in the FPS in their presence. If commodities do not arrive at the FPS in

full quantity within reasonable time, citizens can register their complaint at the website or through call

centre.

4.4 Call centre and Complaint Monitoring System

A call centre with a toll free number 1-800-233-3663 is operational. The complaints received by call centre

are immediately entered in the system and the complaint number is given to the complainer for further use.

All the registered complaints either through call centre or through internet are seen in the inbox of officer

concerned login. The officer is supposed to enter the details of enquiry report and action taken on

complaints found correct. The status of the complaint is informed to the complainer on demand. Complaint

redressal is monitored at directorate and secretariat level for speedy disposal of complaints.

Source: http://www.csi-sigegov.org/egovernance_pdf/26_216-223.pdf

RAINWATER HARVESTING- Success in Chhatisgarh

RAINWATER HARVESTING UNDER JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

(Implemented by Department of Forest)

1. BELARBAHRA VILLAGE (Block: Nagri, District: Dhamtari)

Belarbahra village is adjacent to a protected forest in Dhamtari District. In addition to other development activities like facilitating honey culture etc. providing better irrigation facilities were also the priorities of the joint forest management committee. To start with they deepened a village tank named Dhau talab. Risai Jharan, a spring flowing from the hills used to fall directly to the paddy fields there by destroying the crop and the field.

The villagers constructed a canal of 1 Km length and channeled the spring flow to Dhau talab. It solved two purposes, routing the stream through the canal saved the paddy fields from being degraded and the water thus transported to Dhau Talab was stored and used for irrigation. This resulted in 37% (to 150 ha) increase in total irrigated area (Kharif) and nearly 19% increase in total production.

2. ALEKHUNTA VILLAGE (Block: Nagri, District: Dhamtari)

In Alekhunta village of Dhamtari district, the Forest Management Committee has set an example in water resources Management. Alekhunta village, home to 64 families with a total population of 267 was almost entirely dependent on forest. Under JFM Programme, a stop dam of 10m width was constructed along Futhamuda stream. The stored water was then distributed to different parts of the village with construction of 2 canals, one of 4 Km length and the other of 3 Km length. There was 350 acres of arable land and there was no irrigation facility. This construction provided irrigation facilities to the entire 350 acres (during kharif only) of land and resulted in 80% increase in agricultural productivity in the village.

3. JHUNJHRAKASA VILLAGE (Block: Nagri, District: Dhamtari)

Jhunjhrakasa village is on Birgudi-Ghattasilli road in Dhamtari district. The village has a population of 503.

Paddy cultivation in the village used to be completely dependent on monsoon rain. Under the Joint Forest Management Programme, the Forest Management Committee has constructed a stop dam across Jhura Nala as a result of which 200 acres of land could be brought under assured irrigation. In addition to this the Forest management Committee has also constructed 18 sluice gates thereby facilitating irrigation in additional 90 acres. The villagers in Jhunjhrakasa are now started taking the second crop in 80 acres of land.

Chhattisgarh’s solar electrification success story

A Chhattisgarh government initiative has succeeded in electrifying many remote villages with solar energy where other states have failed

Around 50 villages in Chhattisgarh’s Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, that are not connected to the national grid because they are in a remote area, have been enjoying the benefits of electrification since 2003 under the Remote Village Electrification Programme of the Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

The four-kilowatt solar power plant that provides seven hours of electricity every day to all 75 households and lanes in Deba village, in the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, for instance, generates 28 units (1 unit=1 kWh) of electricity a day.

The technology for such projects is simple and the source of power abundant, making it the obvious choice for electrification in rural areas. Yet solar off-grid projects under the programme have not been as successful as expected across the country. Chhattisgarh is an exception with 1,400 solar-powered villages.

The failure of the system is said to be due to poor maintenance and lack of monitoring. Equipment has been stolen or is lying defunct in several states. In Kalahandi district of Orissa, for example, the government installed solar home lighting and street lighting systems in 40 villages in 2009. A survey by Desi Technology Solutions, a consultancy firm in Bhubaneswar, reveals that the system in 30 villages became defunct within a year.

Chhattisgarh experienced much the same problems initially. In 2003, the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) installed solar home lighting systems in 500 villages. The system is an assembly of solar panels, cables, an inverter, a battery and two 11 Watt CFLs.

“Half of the panels got stolen within a year. Some (people) even sold them or mortgaged them for money,” says S K Shukla, director of CREDA. A survey in 2004 showed that of the 617 solar modules installed in tribal hostels, ashrams and primary health centres, 500 were stolen. And so CREDA opted for micro-grids.

A solar module of 37 W costs Rs 14,000. With the 90% subsidy provided by MNRE, each module costs the state Rs 2,750. Compare this with the cost of setting up a micro-grid (solar photovoltaic power plant and transmission cables) per household, which is approximately Rs 25,000. The state shells out about three times more for a micro-grid than a solar home lighting system.

“Micro-grids require more investment from the state exchequer because the subsidy by MNRE is limited (90% of the installation cost or Rs 18,000, whichever is more). But they prevent theft and require minimal maintenance,” says Shukla. CREDA organisation installed the first micro-grid in 2004.

CREDA started electrifying villages in two ways. Micro-grids were installed in big concentrated villages (of the 1,400 solar-powered villages, 500 have micro-grids of a total installed capacity of 2.35 MW, providing electricity to over 35,000 households), while in villages and hamlets where houses are scattered solar home lighting systems were installed as it was not feasible to invest in wiring over long distances.

The problem of maintenance remained and to tackle it CREDA envisaged a three-tier system: a local operator from the village to carry out simple repairs and clean the solar modules, for which he receives Rs 5 from every household; a contractor appointed by CREDA who employs technicians to service a cluster of 10-15 villages and carries out regular servicing of batteries and invertors and more serious repairs; and CREDA itself. The contractor-appointed technician files a monthly report on the status of all the work he has done and is paid Rs 25 per household per month by the state government. CREDA monitors all installations through the monthly reports and replaces faulty equipment.

The system works well when the demand for power is limited. If villagers begin to use TV sets and other electrical equipment it proves inadequate. Under the programme, a 37 W solar system is provided to a family, which does not even meet the minimum electricity requirement of 1 unit a day mentioned in the Electricity Act.

Despite this, demand is growing in the state of Chhattisgarh. A solar power distributor in Sarguja district says sales have increased almost five times in the past seven years -- from Rs 15-20 lakh in 2004 to Rs 4 crore this year. Solar power is not used only in remote areas but augments grid power too in many places.

Solar power is clearly a viable option to hasten the electrification of India without involving environment-destroying and capital-intensive costs. How well governments use it remains the crucial question.

Source: www.downtoearth.org.in, April 2011

States asked to follow Gujarat, Chhattisgarh PDS models

Press Trust Of India / New Delhi October 03, 2011

The Centre has instructed all the states and the Union Territories to emulate computerised public distribution system implemented by Gujarat and Chhattisgarh which won praise from the Supreme Court. "We have written to all 35 states and UTs to emulate the Gujarat and Chhattisgarh models of computerised PDS which came in for praise from the Supreme Court recently," a senior Food Ministry official told PTI. The Centre has told them to study the models', details of which are available on the NIC website, and draw their own on those lines, the official added. "The Centre will provide financial and other assistance to the states in doing this," the official said. The two BJP-ruled states, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, came in for praise on September 14 from the Supreme Court, which asked the Centre why these be not taken as a model for the entire country. The apex court had said that the Centre had no option but to computerise the world's largest distribution network having more than five lakh fair price shops, which annually distribute foodgrains worth more than Rs 500 billion to about 180 million families. The SC direction was based on the recommendations of a high-powered committee headed by Justice D P Wadhwa, a retired Supreme Court judge. It divided the computerisation into two components - first to arrest and correct diversions, leakages, delays in allocation and transportation, distribution of food grains to fair price shops; and the second, electronic authentication of delivery and payments at the fair price shop. The Chhattisgarh's system could serve as a model for the first component, while the one in Gujarat could be the model for the second component, the apex court had observed. The Food Ministry official said that the states have to inform about progress in this regard to the SC appointed committee in three months.

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