NEW DELHI, May 27 -- The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the five-year extension of the 'SARTHAK-PDS' scheme with a Rs 25,530 crore outlay through March 2031, aiming to overhaul the public distribution infrastructure through technology-led reforms.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also cleared a revision to the norms governing central assistance to states and Union Territories for intra-state movement and handling of foodgrains, as well as fair price shop (FPS) dealers' margins, while retaining the existing funding pattern. SARTHAK-PDS merges two existing programmes - assistance for intra-state foodgrain movement and FPS dealer margins under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)...