The Central government on Wednesday unveiled the SARTHAK-PDS scheme with an allocation of ₹25,530 crore to modernise the Public Distribution System (PDS), strengthen logistics and deploy artificial intelligence-based solutions for beneficiary management and grievance handling. The announcement was made by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a Cabinet briefing.

The scheme will be implemented over five years, from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031. It includes financial support for state agencies involved in the intra-state transportation of food grains, assistance for fair price shops and broader PDS modernisation initiatives. As part of the next phase of SMART PDS, the government introduced three AI-powered platforms — NIRMAL, ASHA and SAKSHAM. NIRMAL will serve as a real-time AI-based beneficiary registry, enabling live integration between ministries and convergence with other welfare schemes.

The ASHA module will operate as a multilingual AI-powered grievance redressal and citizen engagement system through calls, WhatsApp, IVRS and chatbots, with the capacity to manage up to three lakh interactions daily. SAKSHAM will function as an AI-driven supply chain management platform featuring vehicle tracking, QR-code traceability, demand forecasting and route optimisation tools.

According to the government, the technology-enabled framework is expected to improve the identification of eligible beneficiaries and enhance citizen satisfaction. The ASHA AI assistant is also expected to speed up grievance resolution in users’ preferred languages. The Centre further stated that the scheme could reduce food grain transportation distances by 15 to 50 per cent, helping minimise wastage and promote local procurement. Improved logistics are projected to save around ₹280 crore annually and cut carbon emissions by 35 per cent.

The programme will introduce QR-coded tags on food grain bags and vehicle tracking systems to improve transparency and monitoring across the supply chain. The government said the initiative aims to make the Public Distribution System more efficient, transparent, technology-driven and citizen-friendly while reducing operational leakages and strengthening delivery mechanisms.

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