In a significant stride towards digitizing public welfare services, the Hon’ble Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Shri Prahlad Joshi, officially launched the Anna Mitra Mobile App and Anna Sahayata Grievance Platform at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event was also graced by Hon’ble Ministers of State, Shri B. L. Verma and Smt. Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, underscoring the national importance of these digital initiatives.

Developed with technological support from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), these platforms aim to boost efficiency, transparency, and citizen-centric service delivery in the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Designed for frontline stakeholders including District Food Supply Officers (DFSO), Inspectors, and Fair Price Shop (FPS) owners, the Anna Mitra App empowers users with:

1. Access to real-time beneficiary data

2. On-site inspection and verification tools

3. Stock receipt tracking

4. Monthly sales reporting functionality

This mobile application enables seamless monitoring of PDS operations, ensuring better accountability and reducing discrepancies in food grain distribution.

The Anna Sahayata Platform integrates WhatsApp and IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) to provide an accessible grievance redressal mechanism for PDS beneficiaries. Citizens can now report issues and lodge complaints easily, improving transparency and responsiveness in the food distribution ecosystem.

NIC has served as the technology partner for both platforms, offering:

1. Secure data access frameworks

2. Scalable and resilient infrastructure

3. User-centric design for ease of adoption

The NIC development team was commended for their efforts in delivering these mission-critical systems. Key NIC officials present at the event included:

1. Shri Alok Tiwari, Head of Group (HoG)

2. Ms. Meenu Arora, Head of Department (HoD)

3. Shri Vineet Kumar Pruthi, Scientist E

4. Mr. Lalit Gupta, Scientist C

5. Ms. Yashi Maheshwari, Scientific Officer/Engineer-SB

Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), acknowledged NIC’s technical expertise and commitment in the successful development and deployment of these platforms.

These digital initiatives represent a transformative leap in governance and service delivery, ensuring citizen empowerment, timely grievance resolution, and a robust food security framework for millions of Indians.