United Nation to help Meghalaya in improving PDS system in the State

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 3, 2022

The Government of Meghalaya on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme, India, held at an official meeting at the WFP office in New Delhi. The meeting witnessed the signing of the MoU between the Hon’ble Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, James PK Sangma and officials of the World Food Programme, India.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in India and the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Meghalaya, are partnering to improve the Targeted Public Distribution System (TDPS) in the State.

With this Meghalaya has become the first State in the northeastern region to take up such an initiative with the WFP.

The partnership will entail initiatives such as end-to-end computerization of TPDS with special focus on use of technology to improve implementation of Point-of-Sale devices and beneficiary authentication; supply chain optimization of the entire TPDS, usage of mobile storage units to reduce storage losses and a mobile app for data collection.

“This partnership will open bountiful opportunities for the State to grow forward. The Government of Meghalaya is committed to creating food security in the State. Our efforts towards the achievement of India’s targets under Sustainable Development Goal 2 will be strengthened with the assistance provided by the World Food Programme and transfer and exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise to strengthen the existing systems”, said James Sangma, Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.

This partnership between the WFP and the Government of Meghalaya is part of a wider Memorandum of Understanding signed last year.

Other additional support that the WFP will provide the Government of Meghalaya include: a framework for evaluating Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme of Fortification of Rice and its distribution under Public Distribution System, mechanism to stop illegal diversion of NFSA food grains during transportation and distribution at Fair Price Shops, and technical expertise to augment the work being done at the Government level which will help the State improve its sustainability aspects.