Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], February 15 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System (PDS) in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, marking a significant step in enhancing transparency in the country's food distribution network.

This initiative is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India campaign, which aims to improve the delivery of essential services to the public.

Speaking at the launch event here, Shah highlighted the transformation brought about by the Digital India initiative.

'When I use the term 'Digital India' and look back 11 years, we couldn't even imagine that 60 crore people in this country belonged to families that didn't have a single bank account. Today, under the leadership of PM Modi, half of the world's digital transactions are taking place in India. This is a monumental achievement,' he said.

The newly launched system, which has been implemented with the help of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Food Corporation of India, state governments, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), aims to eliminate middlemen in the food distribution process.

Shah explained that for many years, in remote and backward areas of India, food grains often failed to reach the poor due to corruption in the distribution system.

He praised the collaboration between various stakeholders, saying, 'Today, with this new digital system, corruption will be completely eliminated from the food and supply department's method of providing rations to the poor, and the distribution of food grains will become transparent,' Shah added.

The event saw the inauguration of the 'Annapurti' machine, a grain ATM developed in Gujarat, which Shah called a symbol of the country's technological progress.

'A wonderful confluence of technology and Modi ji's sensitivity towards humanity, his feelings for the poor, and his commitment to purity and truth can be seen here. Under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Gujarat, 1kg of Tur dal, 1kg of chickpeas, salt, and sugar will also be distributed through these ATMs starting today. Today, the 'Annapurti' machine (Grain ATM), which is more than 'Made in India'--it is 'Made in Gujarat' has also been inaugurated,' Shah added.

The new system also incorporates Aadhaar-based biometric authentication and aligns with the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) infrastructure. This ensures that the entire food distribution process is secure, transparent, and efficient.

Shah expressed confidence that within the next 3-4 years, the system would be implemented nationwide, providing the poor with secure access to their full entitlement of 5kg of food grains.

Shah further highlighted how, over the past 11 years, the country's food distribution system has been significantly improved. '

'This will bring immense transparency to the food distribution program, providing security to the poor. This distribution system will become highly transparent. I remember 11 years ago: corruption began with weighing the grains. The weighing scales have now been digitised; fake ration cards were issued; E-ration cards were introduced. Then came the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' program. This system, now in place, will ensure complete transparency. Once this system is implemented nationwide, every poor person will have the right to receive their full 5kg of food grain. I have great faith in this.'

Shah concluded by stressing that the Digital India initiative has brought immense transparency to the villages, noting that connectivity has now reached 1,07,000 villages, a major leap from just 500 villages during the Congress-led government.

'PM Narendra Modi ji has brought immense transparency to the villages through Digital India. During the Congress government, connectivity had reached only 500 villages; today, connectivity to 1,07,000 villages has been completed. Along with DBT, as Pralhad ji was mentioning and I was there too we were listening to PM Modi's words with great emotion in 2014 when he said that his government is a government for the poor, the backward, the Dalits, and the tribals.'

The event was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel; Pralhad Joshi; Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State (Home), Government of Gujarat; Nimuben Bambhaniya, Union Minister; Ramanbhai Solanki, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies; Poonambhai Baranda, Minister of State, Government of Gujarat; the Mayor of Gandhinagar, Meeraben Patel; Central Secretary Shri Sanjiv Chopra; Sister Mona Khandhar, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; and P Vasudevan, Executive Director of RBI. (ANI)