Haryana now has India’s first grain ATM named ‘Annapurti’ which has been launched in Gurgaon by the Government. The machine that has been set up in Farukhnagar can dispense up to 70 kg of grains within 5 to 7 minutes at a time. The initiative aims to ease the process of dispensing grains to the right beneficiary with minimum hassle at ration shops.
Dushyant Chautala, the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala further mentioned in his tweet that the ATM has been set up as a pilot project for now.
बड़े गर्व के साथ साझा कर रहा हूं कि देश के पहले अनाज एटीएम ‘अन्नपूर्ती’ की शुरुआत हरियाणा के गुरुग्राम जिले से हुई है। इसका उद्देश्य विभिन्न सरकारी योजनाओं में मिलने वाले अनाज के वितरण को सुगम एवं पारदर्शी बनाना है। pic.twitter.com/WgFGHRRqfd
— Dushyant Chautala (@Dchautala) July 14, 2021
A biometric system is installed in the ATM with a touch screen that lets consumers enter either Aadhaar Card or ration card unique number to receive the grains. The machine can dispense wheat, rice, and millet. The error in the measurement of grain is negligible, the minister told PTI.
The government plans to launch more grain ATMs at government depots. Besides Haryana, these grain ATMs will be set up across the country in four other states namely Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand under the central government’s scheme.
Also, read: Meet The HR Manager Who Started A Rice ATM In Hyderabad To Feed Those Hit By Pandemic
‘Annapurti’ ATMs are a part of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) which is working hand in hand with the Indian government to alleviate the problems of food scarcity in and around poorer sections of the country. The World Food Programme, which was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, also works closely with Ethiopian, Mali, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Sudan among other countries to address problems of food shortage, and hunger.