PNS|Vijayawada
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for a thorough revamp of the Public Distribution System (PDS) to eliminate inefficiencies and ensure transparency in service delivery.
At a high-level review meeting with Civil Supplies Department officials, he stressed that public satisfaction must be the key objective in implementing schemes such as ration distribution, Deepam-2, and paddy procurement.
The Chief Minister pointed out that 79,173 names appear on rice cards but are missing from the GSWAS database. He directed officials to verify and correct these discrepancies immediately. In a move to promote digital governance, Naidu announced that, from 15 May, all rice card-related services would be available through the “Mana Mitra” WhatsApp Governance platform.
Services such as applying for a new card, splitting cards, adding or removing members, changing addresses, and surrendering cards will be streamlined for easier access.
Officials stated that of the 4.24 crore beneficiaries under 1.46 crore rice cards, 3.94 crore have completed eKYC verification. About 23 lakh are yet to comply, with exemptions for children under five and those above 80.
The government procured 35.94 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the last Kharif season and 14.28 lakh tonnes in Rabi, paying farmers Rs 11,354 crore.
Civil Supplies Minister Nandendla Manohar also attended the meeting.
