Bengaluru
The IT city will soon have ‘rice ATMs’. Initially the ATMs would be set up in a slum in Bengaluru. The initiative is part of central government’s project ‘Annapurti’, being implemented in partnership with the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP). Karnataka state Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, K Gopalaiah said, “We are awaiting approval from the Centre.” The ATM can dispense two commodities weighing 25kgs each per minute. Depending on the demand a machine with 100-500 kgs of grains capacity will be installed.
“We are looking to set up this machine in the locality where low-income labourers reside. They won’t have to queue outside the ration shops, missing the day’s work; since the machine will be operating 24x7,” said the minister.
The Karnataka State Govt currently provides food grains and other essentials to over 1 crore BPL families under their Anna Bhagya scheme.