District among early birds

Even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee emphasised the importance of computerised Public Distribution System (PDS) in his Budget speech,Pune district is already leading in the digitisation process. Work has been taken up for digitising details of nearly nine lakh ration cards.

Food Distribution Officer Dnyaneshwar Jawanjal said digitisation of cards had been undertaken with DPDC funds. “We have given our statement in a PIL in Bombay High Court that the district is carrying out the process,” he said. The district was on track to be among the earliest to complete the project.

The PDS in the district has an SMS system as well as a distribution system in place. Work for all eight zones have been taken up. The administration had identified nearly three lakh ration cards not having necessary details.,that include names,addresses and family details of ration card holders.