India

Mizoram Mandates GPS Tracking for Rice Trucks and Links ePoS to Weighing Scales to Curb Ration Leakage

By PTI

Aizawl, Mizoram – State minister B Lalchhanzova announced that trucks carrying rice will be required to install AIS‑140‑compliant GPS devices so that their movements can be monitored from the department’s command and control room. Vehicles without the devices will not be allowed to transport ration rice. During the transition period, transporters may use a mobile‑app based tracking system developed jointly by the Centre and the World Food Programme, with full implementation expected by the end of December.

The minister also said that all electronic point‑of‑sale (ePoS) machines at fair price shops will be integrated with digital weighing scales. This integration is intended to prevent diversion by ensuring that the quantity recorded in the system matches the actual quantity handed to beneficiaries, thereby eliminating under‑weighing and false transactions. Training for retailers was completed for the November distribution cycle; 263 retailers experiencing internet or equipment issues will continue to operate under the existing system.

Lalchhanzova announced higher margins for ration retailers and increased transportation rates. The margin for Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Household beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act will rise to ₹3 per kg, while rates for PHH, Non‑NFSA and Mizoram State Special Ration Package categories will be set at ₹2 per kg from October. The town‑trip transportation rate for retailers will increase from ₹50 to ₹75 per quintal.

The state will digitise the entire supply chain through three systems: Supply Chain Management System, Route Optimisation Tool and Vehicle Location Tracking System. The Route Optimisation Tool will identify shorter transport routes, and the Vehicle Location Tracking System will provide live truck tracking.

Mizoram requires about 91,000 quintals of rice each month for ration distribution. Of this, 54,798.33 quintals are supplied free of cost by the Food Corporation of India under the NFSA, and the state procures around 36,000 quintals from the open market. The state plans to reduce open‑market procurement this financial year; procurement in 2026‑27 is expected to be around 334,114 quintals, a reduction of 145,374 quintals compared with 479,488 quintals in 2025‑26, which is projected to save about ₹52.19 crore.

Adequate rice stocks are being maintained, with December’s NFSA requirement currently being lifted from seven FCI depots. A tentative monsoon stock plan covering 66 centres has also been prepared for 2027‑28.

Mizoram has 1,266 fair price shops and 296,051 ration cards covering a population of 1,178,801, according to the department.