Odisha gets first rice ATM: What's it, how it works
After states like Haryana, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Meghalaya, Mancheswar in Odisha got its first-ever 24x7 rice ATM, named Annapurti, on Thursday. The ATM was inaugurated by Krushna Chandra Patra, Odisha's Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, along with Nozomi Hashimoto, Deputy Country Director of the World Food Programme in India. The grain ATM aims to address issues related to delays in the Public Distribution System (PDS) by dealers.
How it works
To avail the grain, ration card holders must enter their ration card number into the display monitor's touchscreen, and the machine will deliver rice following biometric identification. Once authenticated, the ATM can dispense up to 50kg of grains within five minutes with an error rate of just 0.01%. This system is expected to reduce waiting times by 70%, making it a convenient solution for beneficiaries.
ATM dispenses up to 50kg grains within five minutes
The machine is also designed to be energy-efficient, consuming only 0.6Watts per hour and can be connected to solar panels for automatic refilling. The Annapurti Grain ATM is a collaborative project between the Odisha government and the World Food Programme (WFP). Regardless of the state or union territory (UT), anyone with a valid PDS ration card can access their entitlement by verifying their biometric.
Why grain ATMs
According to WFP, India has one of the world's largest food-based safety nets, providing subsidized grains to 813 million people per month through over 500,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS). Currently, FPS operators physically weigh and distribute food grains. However, manual grain weighing and distribution has drawbacks. People getting aid must line for extended periods of time, there is a considerable risk of grain spillage and waste, and some may not receive their fair portion of food assistance.
Which states have installed grain ATMs
The machine has already been installed at Gurugram, Dehradun, Varanasi, Bhubaneshwar, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. All these units were installed by the WFP on a pro bono basis. Annapurti was recognized as one of the World Food Programme's top five creative approaches to ending hunger at the 2022 WFP Innovation Awards.
