The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in India and the Meghalaya government have joined hands to improve the Targeted Public Distribution System (TDPS) in the state.
An agreement was signed in this regard at the WFP office in New Delhi which was also witnessed by Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, James PK Sangma.
With this Meghalaya has become the first State in the North East 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, a statement from Sangma’s office said.
“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 WFP and transfer and exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise to strengthen the existing systems”, Sangma said.
This partnership between the WFP and the Meghalaya government is part of a wider agreement signed last year in an effort to streamline and strengthen the public distribution system.
Other additional support that the WFP will provide the State government will include a framework for evaluating centrally sponsored pilot scheme of fortification of rice and its distribution under PDS, 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.
