- (1.) Mr. Mohan Parasaran, learned Additional Solicitor General appearing for the Union of India has filed an affidavit of the Joint Secretary, Government of India on 28.03.2011. In the said affidavit it is mentioned that a pilot scheme on computerization of TPDS has been approved in August, 2009 to be implemented in 3 districts in each of the 4 pilot States i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. A pilot scheme on Smart Card based delivery of TPDS commodities has also been approved for the Union Territory of Chandigarh and State of Haryana. Integrated Information System for Food-grains Management (IISFM) is an application developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for Food Corporation of India (FCI). The project aims at putting an online management system in place to give information about food-grains management in FCI.
(2.) Justice D.P. Wadhwa (since retd.) has submitted about 18 reports. In each of the report it is categorically stated that there is pilferage and corruption in each and every stage of the Public Distribution System (for short 'PDS') and according to him the situation can be salvaged to a large extent by computerization.
(3.) Matter is pending for several years but no real progress is made in computerization programme. It is absolutely imperative that computerization has to be put in place as expeditiously as possible. Looking to the grave urgency of the matter, we requested learned Additional Solicitor General to take appropriate steps to have a High Powered Committee which can take assistance of the Petitioners and other concerned organizations to ensure that computerization of PDS is carried out as expeditiously as possible. The Committee must monitor the programme of computerization on regular basis. They may take into consideration the computerization programme already carried out by some of the States. The representative of the State may also be associated with the programme of computerization. Mr. Parasaran assured this Court that he would take up the matter at the highest level and would revert to this Court with proper instructions on next Monday i.e. on 04.04.2011.;