New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday said that the SARTHAK-PDS scheme will strengthen food security for 81.35 crore NFSA beneficiaries, with a central outlay of Rs 25,530 crore for the 16th Finance Commission period and continuation till 31 March 2031.

On X, the Union Education Minister said that the scheme's integration and continuation is a solid step towards a transparent and citizen-centric Public Distribution System (PDS).

'Cabinet has approved the integration and continuation of SARTHAK-PDS as an umbrella scheme marking a significant step towards building a unified, transparent and citizen-centric Public Distribution System under the leadership of Prime Minister @narendramodi,' he said.

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The Education Minister further added that the SARTHAK-PDS scheme will utilise foodgrain movement, modernised supply-chain management and enhanced support for States and Union Territories and Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers, commonly known as ration shop owners to empower the National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries.

'With a central outlay of Rs 25,530 crore for the 16th Finance Commission period and continuation till 31 March 2031, the scheme will strengthen food security for 81.35 crore NFSA beneficiaries through improved foodgrain movement, modernised supply-chain management and enhanced support for States/UTs and FPS dealers,' he added.

Further, Pradhan said that the integration of SMART-PDS initiatives, Aadhaar seeding, e-PoS automation, AI-driven monitoring and grievance systems, along with technologies such as AI, ML and Blockchain, will further improve efficiency, transparency and last-mile delivery across the country.

Meanwhile, during a Cabinet briefing today, according to the details shared, the SARTHAK-PDS scheme will run for five years from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031.

The scheme includes assistance to state agencies for intra-state movement of food grains, support for fair price shops and modernisation of the public distribution system.

The government said the new technology-driven system is expected to improve identification of eligible beneficiaries and increase citizen satisfaction levels.

The government also stated that the scheme is expected to reduce the travel distance of food grains by 15 to 50 per cent, helping save food grains and encouraging local procurement.

The logistics improvements under the programme are projected to generate annual savings of around Rs 280 crore along with a 35 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

The scheme will also introduce QR-coded tags for food grain bags and vehicle location systems to improve transparency and monitoring across the supply chain. (ANI)