Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to launch India’s inaugural Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-powered Public Distribution System (PDS) at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on Sunday. This innovative system, led by the Gujarat Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department, will facilitate subsidy transfers through the Reserve Bank of India’s authorized CBDC platform. The Punjab National Bank has developed the system, which will offer beneficiaries digital tokens in their wallets detailing the commodity, quantity, and price.
The pilot phase of the project covers 26,333 families in the Sabarmati zone of Ahmedabad, as well as in Surat, Anand, and Valsad. Smartphone users among the beneficiaries will verify transactions using QR codes, while feature phone users will receive one-time passwords through an Aadhaar-based verification process. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi, and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
In addition to the CBDC-based initiative, the state government will introduce the distribution of tur and chana in standardized one kg sealed packs for National Food Security Act beneficiaries, replacing loose distribution to ensure quality standards. An ‘Annapurti Grain ATM’ will also be unveiled in the Sabarmati zone of Ahmedabad, capable of dispensing up to 25 kg of grain in just 35 seconds. Furthermore, the state will enter into agreements with Care Rating and the Consumer Education and Research Centre to implement a Consumer Responsibility Index for rating companies, along with establishing a mechanism for swift out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes.
As part of the ‘Garima Poshan – Suposhit Garudeshwar Taluka’ campaign, Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited will allocate Rs 1.65 crore from its CSR funds to combat malnutrition in Garudeshwar taluka of Narmada district. This endeavor includes setting up two model anganwadis and providing targeted health interventions for adolescent girls and pregnant women.
