India extends SARTHAK PDS scheme with Rs 25,530 cr for five years

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the SARTHAK‑PDS (Scheme for Assistance in Ration Transport and Handling‑Income with Automation in PDS) for a further five years, funding it with an outlay of Rs 25,530 crore through March 2031. The umbrella programme merges the intra‑state food‑grain movement and FPS‑dealer margin assistance under the National Food Security Act with the earlier SMART‑PDS modernisation scheme, covering about 81.35 crore beneficiaries.

The scheme introduces three AI‑driven platforms—NIRMAL for beneficiary verification, ASHA for multilingual grievance redressal, and SAKSHAM for supply‑chain optimisation—plus QR‑coded grain bags and blockchain‑based tracking to improve transparency and reduce leakages. Officials project logistics cost cuts of 15‑50 percent, annual savings of roughly Rs 280 crore and a 36 percent reduction in carbon emissions. Financial assistance for intra‑state movement, handling and FPS dealer margins will continue under the revised central‑assistance norms, while the funding pattern remains unchanged. The government emphasised the initiative’s role in strengthening the National Food Security Act and ensuring food‑grain security for the nation’s poorest.