The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has unveiled a suite of digital initiatives aimed at transforming India’s Public Distribution System (PDS), marking a leap towards enhanced transparency, improved infrastructure, and greater empowerment for beneficiaries and frontline workers.
The launch event showcased three key digital platforms: the Depot Darpan Portal, the Anna Mitra mobile app, and the Anna Sahayata grievance redressal system, all designed to streamline the delivery of subsidized food grains to over 81 crore people under the National Food Security Act.
The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to reaching the most vulnerable, stating, “Our aim is to take the government’s welfare schemes to the last man standing.” He highlighted the extensive PDS network, comprising over 5.38 lakh Fair Price Shops, and emphasized India’s success in maintaining low inflation while ensuring nutritional security.
The Minister also pointed to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, which indicated a 50% decline in household food spending, attributing it to increased affordability and improved access to essential food items. He praised the One Nation One Ration Card scheme for its role in enhancing portability and transparency.
Depot Darpan
Depot Darpan is a digital self-assessment and monitoring portal designed to empower depot officials to evaluate and improve their operations. It assigns a Composite Rating based on infrastructural and operational parameters, integrating IoT sensors, CCTV surveillance, and live video feeds for real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making. Shri Joshi estimated that Depot Darpan has the potential to save approximately ₹275 crore in FCI-owned depots through process efficiencies and augment income by around ₹140 crore in CWC-operated warehouses through optimized space utilization.
The government has also allocated ₹280 crore for CWC and ₹1000 crore for FCI to address infrastructural gaps identified during the evaluation and upgrade warehouses to an “Excellent” grading.
Secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution emphasized the portal’s role in achieving a “Viksit Bharat,” introducing a grading framework that assesses depots on a 60:40 ratio of operational performance and infrastructure standards. Depots achieving excellence will receive five-star ratings, and smart warehouse technologies are expected to be rolled out nationwide by year-end.
Anna Mitra
Anna Mitra is a mobile app designed to provide Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers, DFSO Officers, and Food Inspectors with secure, real-time access to essential operational data. For FPS dealers, it offers functionalities to view stock receipts and monthly sales reports, while DFSO Officers can monitor FPS performance and manage grievances. Food Inspectors can conduct geo-tagged inspections and verify stock distribution.
Anna Sahayata
Anna Sahayata is an advanced grievance redressal system aimed at enhancing accessibility and transparency for PMGKAY beneficiaries. It leverages modern tools like WhatsApp, IVRS, and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to simplify grievance lodging.
Currently, Anna Mitra is being piloted in Assam, Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Punjab, while Anna Sahayata covers Gujarat, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh. Both platforms will eventually be deployed pan-India, integrating state systems.
These digital initiatives align with the Digital India vision, aiming to drive transparency, speed, and efficiency in welfare delivery, making the PDS more accessible and citizen-friendly.
