Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reaffirmed the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to the agricultural community, ensuring that the interests of farmers, cattle rearers, and fishermen will remain protected in all international trade agreements.
The Minister was speaking after launching the country’s first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, today.
Mr Shah countered the opposition’s claims, asserting that the interests of farmers, cattle rearers, and fishermen have been safeguarded in both the India-US trade deal and the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
The Minister expressed confidence that the new digital token-based distribution system would eliminate corruption within the Public Distribution System and bring much-needed transparency to the delivery process. Mr Shah also highlighted the government’s pro-poor initiatives over the past decade, pointing out that 27 crore people have successfully crossed the poverty line under these efforts.
The system will provide beneficiaries with digital wallet tokens containing item name, quantity, and price details. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prahlad Joshi, announced that this initiative would soon be expanded to Union Territories like Chandigarh, Puducherry, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
With the launch, Gujarat has become the first state in the country to transfer PDS subsidies using the Reserve Bank of India-authorised Central Bank Digital Currency. Under this pilot project, over 26,000 families in Ahmedabad, Surat, Anand, and Valsad will receive digital tokens in their wallets to procure rations via QR codes or OTPs.
On the occasion, Mr Shah also virtually inaugurated the ‘Annapurti’ Grain ATM in Ahmedabad, which can dispense up to 25 kilograms of grain in just 35 seconds. The Home Minister further launched the ‘Suposhit Garudeshwar’ mission to combat malnutrition in the Narmada district.
Additionally, two MoUs were signed with CARE Ratings and the Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) to strengthen consumer protection and transparency in the state.
