Odisha Govt To Open ATM To Dispense PDS Items, Says Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will soon launch ATMs to dispense PDS items to beneficiaries of Food Securities Act.

This was informed by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak in the State Assembly on Tuesday. The government has drawn up a plan in this regard, he said.

Stating that the ‘grain ATM’ will be opened in the urban areas of the state initially, the minister said it will be made available to the beneficiaries in Bhubaneswar on pilot basis. Under the facility, a special code card would be provided to the beneficiaries to avail the service.

It may be mentioned that the state government had signed agreements with the World Food Programme (WFP) to launch six projects in 2021. Those include public distribution system (PDS), paddy procurement, grain ATM and smart mobile storage units.