Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh inspects a public distribution system shop in Gaya. Telegraph picture

Patna, Nov. 11: The food and civil supplies department is “pushing” itself a bit too hard to go hi-tech.

The department would soon start a text message alert scheme to ensure foodgrain, set for distribution under the public distribution system, reaches more families.

According to the plan, as soon as the consignment of foodgrain is loaded and is ready for departure for a particular area in any district, a group of selected people of the area would get a text message informing them about its arrival.

State food and civil supplies minister Shyam Rajak told The Telegraph today that the department was holding discussions with Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (Beltron) regarding the SMS system.

“Tenders would be invited for the same. A group of 50 to 60 people of all areas in different districts would be selected first and their mobile phone numbers would be registered. Once the foodgrain are loaded on trucks for departure from the godowns for distribution purposes, the registered mobile numbers would get text alerts which will inform them that the foodgrain has arrived at the public distribution system shops and they can collect them. Subsequently, the people who are informed through the text alerts can inform other people of their area and in this way, the information would be passed on,” the minister said. Rajak added that a reminder text message would be sent again to the registered mobile numbers after three days.

“Three days after the departure of the trucks, there will be a reminder SMS enquiring whether the people have collected their due foodgrain or not. The department feels that the system would remove many discrepancies in the PDS system. The selection of people would be done carefully and the panchayats would be involved in the programme. The tenders would be floated soon,” the minister added.

Earlier this year, the department had initiated a process of booking LPG cylinders through voice and text messages.

The system at present is going through a rough time.

Sources said there were many glitches in the system and residents were not getting LPG cylinders on time despite getting confirmation text alerts.

The department’s new-found-love for technology also came to the fore when it had announced that the department would install a state-of-the-art global positioning satellite system on all the trucks outsourced by the department.

This would give the exact position of the vehicles while they are on way with foodgrain to different places. This plan, however, has been grounded.

The minister added that Union food and civil supplies secretary would visit the state on November 11 to discuss the issue of bad quality foodgrain being supplied to the state from the Centre .