Chhattisgarh has launched its first automated ‘Annapurti Grain ATM’, allowing eligible ration-card holders to collect food grains 24 hours a day without depending on the operating hours of fair-price shops. Food Minister Dayaldas Baghel launched the initiative on August 8, with the machines initially being introduced in Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur. Beneficiaries can enter their Aadhaar or ration-card details and complete biometric authentication before collecting their allotted quantity of rice.
Each machine can store up to 2,500 kg of grain and is designed to make the public distribution system (PDS) more convenient and transparent. The initiative also supports beneficiaries covered under the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme, allowing eligible people to access their food entitlements even when they are away from their home state. Chhattisgarh is the latest state to adopt the technology as governments look to modernise ration distribution and reduce dependence on long queues and fixed shop timings.
A Ration Shop That Never Closes
The Annapurti Grain ATM is designed to work on a model similar to a conventional cash ATM, but instead of dispensing money, it provides food grains to eligible beneficiaries. Users can enter their Aadhaar or ration-card number and complete biometric verification to authenticate their identity. Once verified, the machine dispenses the quantity of grain allocated to the beneficiary under the PDS.
The machines can hold approximately 2,500 kg of grain, with the automated system designed to improve the accuracy of distribution and reduce manual intervention. The 24×7 feature is particularly relevant for people whose working hours do not coincide with the timings of traditional ration shops. Daily-wage workers, migrant labourers and people with irregular working schedules may otherwise have to lose working hours or make repeated trips to collect their monthly ration.
The system is also intended to improve transparency. Since the transaction is digitally authenticated and the quantity dispensed is recorded, beneficiaries can potentially have greater clarity about how much grain they have received. This could help reduce discrepancies between the quantity allocated and the quantity actually collected.
The initiative has been introduced with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), which has been involved in efforts to modernise food distribution systems in India. The technology is being positioned as a way of making food assistance more accessible while strengthening accountability in the delivery process.
Building A More Accessible PDS
Chhattisgarh’s decision comes against the backdrop of wider efforts to use technology to improve India’s PDS. The traditional ration distribution model generally requires beneficiaries to visit designated fair-price shops during specified hours. While such shops remain an important part of the food-security network, fixed timings and queues can create difficulties for people who work long or irregular hours.
The grain ATM model attempts to address some of these practical barriers by giving beneficiaries greater flexibility over when they collect their ration. The machines are initially being introduced in Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur, with the possibility of expanding the system further based on its performance.
The initiative also has a migrant-friendly dimension. Under the One Nation, One Ration Card system, eligible beneficiaries can use their ration entitlements across states. This is particularly important for migrant workers who may travel away from their registered place of residence for employment. Automated distribution points could provide another channel through which such beneficiaries can access their entitlements without having to depend entirely on traditional ration shops.
Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation chairman Sanjay Srivastava had earlier inspected a grain ATM in Shillong and advocated introducing the technology in the state. He said the system could help make PDS distribution more transparent, convenient and focused on beneficiaries.
The concept has already been tested elsewhere in the country. Odisha launched India’s first 24×7 grain ATM, called Annapurti, in August 2024, in partnership with the WFP. The initiative was designed to provide beneficiaries with access to their monthly food grains without the restrictions of conventional shop timings. Other states have subsequently explored or adopted similar automated distribution systems.
For Chhattisgarh, the launch represents another step towards digitising welfare delivery. However, the effectiveness of such systems will depend on more than simply installing machines. Reliable biometric authentication, uninterrupted electricity and connectivity, regular maintenance and timely replenishment of grain will be crucial to ensuring that beneficiaries can actually use the service when they need it.
The system must also remain accessible to people who may face difficulties with digital interfaces or biometric authentication, including elderly beneficiaries and persons with disabilities. Human assistance and alternative mechanisms may therefore remain necessary alongside automation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Access to food is a basic necessity, and welfare delivery should ideally minimise the burden placed on people who depend on it. A 24×7 grain ATM has the potential to make ration collection more flexible, particularly for daily-wage workers, migrants and others who cannot afford to spend hours waiting at a ration shop. By reducing manual intervention and digitally recording transactions, the system could also strengthen transparency and accountability.
However, technology should complement human support rather than replace it entirely. A machine that is unavailable because of a technical fault, failed biometric authentication or an empty grain chamber can become another barrier instead of a solution. The success of Chhattisgarh’s initiative should therefore be judged by whether beneficiaries can access their food entitlements reliably, easily and with dignity.
If implemented alongside strong maintenance, grievance-redressal systems and assistance for those who need it, grain ATMs could offer a useful model for modernising India’s welfare infrastructure. Can technology like this make access to essential services more convenient without leaving behind those who are least equipped to use it?
छत्तीसगढ़ में अब 24×7 मिलेगा राशन
— Vishnu Deo Sai (@vishnudsai) August 11, 2026
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