Srinagar: Commissioner Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Sourabh Bhagat, on Thursday reviewed departmental functioning and directed officers to complete winter stocking within stipulated timelines and expedite implementation of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) project under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
During the online meeting, officials reviewed foodgrain lifting and distribution, winter stocking requirements, Aadhaar-based e-KYC, face authentication and other departmental initiatives.
Bhagat directed officers to ensure timely lifting and distribution of foodgrains ahead of winter and asked the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure supplies of quality foodgrains. District administrations were also asked to identify remote areas without petrol pumps and work out modalities with Oil Marketing Companies for establishing department-owned outlets.
The CBDC pilot will begin in Jammu and Srinagar on November 15, followed by Samba, Kathua and Udhampur by November 30. The project is scheduled for rollout across the Union Territory by December 31, 2026. The National Informatics Centre and Punjab National Bank were asked to expedite beneficiary data validation, whitelisting and creation of login IDs for Fair Price Shop dealers. PNB was also asked to prepare a training schedule for Jammu district.
Reviewing e-KYC of National Food Security Act beneficiaries, Bhagat directed districts to organise special camps and complete pending verification, including that of migrant ration card holders. He also called for the introduction of face authentication from the current month’s distribution cycle. Districts achieving 95 per cent or above e-KYC coverage would be appreciated, he said.
The Commissioner Secretary further directed each district to identify five Fair Price Shops for modernisation under a convergence plan involving MGNREGA and other schemes. Districts were also asked to identify land for additional granaries and government storage godowns, particularly in remote, far-flung and border areas.
The meeting was attended by Director General FCS&CA Jammu Rajesh Kumar Shavan, FCI General Manager, Director IT Sanjay Gupta, Deputy Commissioners and district Assistant Directors.
