News: The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution recently launched two initiatives: ‘Anna Chakra’ and the SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA) portal.
About Anna Chakra
- It is a Public Distribution System (PDS) Supply chain optimization tool.
- The Department of Food and Public Distribution leads the initiative to improve the efficiency of the country’s PDS logistics network.
- It is developed in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT-Delhi.
- Key features:
- Advanced algorithms for route optimization across 30 states which ensures seamless movement of food grains across supply chain nodes.
- The supply chain involves multiple stakeholders, from farmers to Fair Price Shops (FPSs).
- The tool is integrated with the Railways’ FOIS (Freight Operations Information System) through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).
- The optimization tool is also linked to the PM Gati Shakti platform, which includes geo-locations of FPSs and warehouses across the states.
- Significance:
- This initiative enhances the speed and efficiency of the world’s largest food security program, benefiting 81 crore people.
- It reduces fuel use, time, logistics costs, and transportation-related carbon emissions, offering environmental benefits.
About SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA) portal)
- It is a single-window portal for states to submit and process subsidy claims under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
- Key features:
- Automates the entire workflow for claim scrutiny, approval, and settlement.
- Utilizes rule-based processing for faster and more efficient subsidy disbursal.
- Speeds up claim settlements, improving overall efficiency.
