Bhavnagar: Under a pilot project, Gujarat’s first Annapurti Grain ATM was launched in Bhavnagar in 2024 to enable ration card holders to conveniently collect wheat and rice from automated grain dispensing machines at a time of their choice. Following the success of the Annapurti Grain ATM project, the state government has now decided to expand the initiative by installing automatic grain dispensing machines in all 34 districts of Gujarat.

A budgetary provision of Rs 10 crore has been made for 2026-27 to establish Annapurti Grain ATMs at government godowns and other designated locations across the state. The proposal has now received administrative approval.

The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has decided to expand the scheme to ensure easier access to food grains for ration card holders. The estimated cost of each Grain ATM is Rs 47.50 lakh, of which Rs 40 lakh will be spent on the machine itself, while Rs 7.50 lakh will be used for structural modifications to existing buildings and other related expenses.

The purchase of standard Annapurti machines, along with their stamping and verification, will be carried out in consultation with the Office of the Controller of Weights and Measures. Biometric authentication for beneficiaries will be implemented in accordance with Central Government guidelines. The machines will be procured after the grant is received from the Central Government.

The scheme will also be integrated with the Chief Minister’s Dashboard for monitoring purposes. To ensure uninterrupted service, the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. will be responsible for maintaining an adequate stock of food grains in the machines so that beneficiaries can collect their entitled quantity at their convenience.

The government has stipulated that funds allocated for the Annapurti Grain ATM project cannot be diverted for any other purpose. Any unspent amount must be surrendered at the end of the financial year. Additionally, if no expenditure is incurred on the project for two consecutive years, the administrative approval will automatically stand revoked. DeshGujarat