Context
The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, launched ‘Anna Chakra’, the Public Distribution System (PDS) Supply chain optimisation tool and SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA) portal a significant step towards modernizing the Public Distribution System and subsidy claim mechanisms of the States.
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- The “Anna Chakra” PDS Supply Chain Optimization, led by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at improving the efficiency of the Public Distribution System’s logistics network nationwide.
- Developed in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi.
Benefits
- Improved efficiency and cost savings through the streamlined delivery route.
- Reducing fuel consumption.
- Reducing time, and logistics costs (Ex- Estimated costs saving of about Rs. 250 Crores per annum).
- It also provides environmental benefits of lower carbon footprint.
Key Features:
- The interstate route optimization tool has been developed for optimization of the PDS movement between the states.
- It is integrated with the FOIS (Freight Operations Information System) portal of the Railways through Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).
- Integration of the optimization tool with the PM Gati Shakti platform which now houses geo -locations of fair price shop (FPSs) and warehouses across the states.
SCAN Portal
- This portal will provide for a single window submission of subsidy claims by states, claim scrutiny and approval by DFPD facilitating expeditious settlement process.
- The portal will ensure end-to-end workflow automation of all the processes for release and settlement of food subsidy using rule-based processing.