Andhra Pradesh is the first State in the country to automate all its 29,027 fair price shops (FPS), followed by Madhya Pradesh (all 22,401 FPSs), Daman & Diu (all 51 FPSs), and Tamil Nadu (all 34,723 FPSs).

Considerable progress has also been achieved in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan with 17,000 (99 per cent), 11,965 (97 per cent) and 24,649 (96 per cent) automated FPS, respectively, the Food Ministry said, adding that this had resulted in reduce ghost-lifting and better targeting of food subsidies.

Addressing a National Conference on Reforms in PDS here on Friday, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan also said that as on date, 64.86 per cent (15.74 crore of 24.27 crore) ration cards had been seeded with Aadhaar.

Due to Aadhaar seeding, 33 crore ghost/fraudulent/duplicate ration cards had been deleted across 27 States and Union territories, which had led to estimated ‘rightful targeting of food subsidies’ of ₹14,000 crore, he said.

Requesting other States to expedite reforms in the public distribution system (PDS), a key feature of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) being implemented in 34 States/UTs, Paswan requested Kerala and Tamil Nadu to also implement the Act “as early as possible.”

The CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India, informed the conference that Section 7 of Aadhaar Act had been notified and made operational with effect from September 12, 2016. He briefed the gathering on the implications of Section 7 and 12 of Aadhaar Act that requires Aadhaar authentication on possession of Aadhaar for availing subsidy from Consolidated Fund of India.

“Those who do not have Aadhaar will be required to enroll for it. Departments can also provide for alternate methods of identification, so that no beneficiary is denied the benefit from government schemes in the interim,” the Ministry said.

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