Bhubaneswar: Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra today inaugurated a Grain ATM namely 'Annapurti' at Mancheswar in the city.

The machine will provide rice/ wheat to ration card holders in the state. While the service will be available 24x7, the machine is capable of dispensing 25 kg of rice/ wheat at one time.

If the machine works successfully, such ATMs will be installed in all districts of Odisha in the coming days, the minister said.

The ration card beneficiaries will be provided with a special code card to access the service. The Grain ATMs, equipped with biometric systems and touch screens, will require users to enter their Aadhaar or ration card number. Upon successful biometric authentication, the machines will dispense the food grains, primarily rice, to the beneficiaries.

This project is part of a broader partnership agreement signed between the State government and the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2021. The agreement includes various initiatives aimed at transforming the public distribution system, including the introduction of grain ATMs and smart mobile storage units.