To deliver ration to the people at the doorsteps, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday gave approval to rollout home delivery service of Atta (wheat flour) from 1 October and will be implemented across the state in three phases.

Conceding the proposal of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department to introduce home delivery of Atta under National Food Security Act (NFSA), the entire state has been divided into eight zones and the service will commence in one zone in the first phase, in two zones in the second phase and in the remaining five zones in the last and third phase.

According to the spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, the government will offer, to every beneficiary enrolled under NFSA, the option of home delivery of Atta. Any beneficiary, who wishes to physically collect his entitlement of wheat from a Fair Price Shop (FPS), will have an option of opt-out through a suitable IT intervention. The delivery cycle of distribution will now be changed from quarterly cycle to monthly cycle.

The spokesperson said the home delivery service will all introduce the concept of Mobile Fair Price Shops (MPS). The MPS shall be a transport vehicle, preferably fitted with GPS facility and cameras to live stream the handing over of Atta to the beneficiary. It will mandatorily have the facility of weighing scales in order to satisfy the customer about the weight of the Atta before it is delivered.

All mandatory requirements of biometric verification, handing over of printed weight slip to the beneficiary, etc. Will be provided by the MPS. All MPS licenses will be issued by the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs.

An MPS will enjoy a status similar to the ‘Fair Price Shop’ under the NFSA. Only MPS will offer the facility of home delivery of Atta. FPS will continue to offer the existing facility of delivery of wheat to the beneficiary, and the beneficiary will have to visit the FPS and physically collect the entitled quantity of wheat.

The spokesperson said portability between any MPS and FPS will continue to be allowed. Where the beneficiary has chosen the facility of home delivery of Atta, it will also automatically imply that the beneficiary has chosen an MPS as the favoured Fair Price Shop and the MPS will then be tasked with the responsibility of delivering the allocated quantity of Atta at the doorstep of such a beneficiary.

Wherever Atta is being given to a beneficiary, the existing amount of Rs Two pre kilogram charged from the beneficiary will be collected by the MPS. For this purpose the MPS will preferably collect the amount through digital payment mode.