Chandigarh to get country's first PDS smart cards

Chandigarh to become the first Indian city to introduce smart-card based ration cards in its PDS, as HCL infosystems gears up to implement the project.

Chandigarh will soon become the first city in the country to distribute smart card-based ration cards to below poverty line (BPL) families, who benefit from the Public Distribution System (PDS).

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HCL Infosystems, a hardware, services and ICT system integration company, has bagged the order to implement the project.

The smart cards will capture all biometric, tax, demographic and personal information details of people, enabling authorities to ensure proper distribution of food rations and other benefits.

HCL Infosystems president and chief operating officer J.V. Ramamurthy said: "Technology today is changing the way local authorities across the globe reach out to their citizens."

"As Public Distribution System is vital for sustained living of the people living below the poverty line, this project is a step in the right direction to make the Public Distribution System more robust and effective by deploying path-breaking technology," he added.