Mizoram to make GPS tracking mandatory for trucks carrying ration rice

Mizoram will make GPS tracking compulsory for trucks transporting ration rice and integrate electronic point-of-sale (ePoS) machines with digital weighing scales at fair price shops to prevent diversion and ensure beneficiaries receive their full quota, state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister B Lalchhanzova said on Thursday.

Under the new system, all trucks carrying ration rice will have to install GPS devices compliant with AIS-140 standards. Their movement will be monitored from the department's command and control room, and vehicles without the required tracking devices will not be permitted to transport ration rice.

As an interim arrangement, transporters will be allowed to use a mobile application-based tracking system developed jointly by the Centre and the World Food Programme before the mandatory GPS system is fully implemented. The minister said the new arrangement is expected to become operational by the end of December.

The department will also link ePoS machines with digital weighing scales at all fair price shops to ensure that the quantity recorded electronically matches the rice actually distributed. The integration is aimed at preventing under-weighing and fraudulent transactions in which ration is shown as distributed despite beneficiaries not collecting it.

Lalchhanzova said retailers had completed training for the November distribution cycle. However, 263 fair price shop retailers facing internet connectivity problems or equipment-related issues have been allowed to continue using the existing system temporarily.

The government has also revised the margins for ration retailers and transportation rates. The margin for Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Household (PHH) beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act has been increased to Rs 3 per kg. For PHH (Additional), Non-NFSA and Mizoram State Special Ration Package (MSSRP) categories, the margin has been fixed at Rs 2 per kg from October.

The transportation rate for retailers undertaking town trips has also been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 75 per quintal.

The minister said the state was moving towards digitising the entire rice distribution network through three systems — the Supply Chain Management System, Route Optimisation Tool and Vehicle Location Tracking System.

While the Route Optimisation Tool will identify shorter transportation routes, the Vehicle Location Tracking System will enable real-time monitoring of trucks. Together, the systems will track rice movement across the supply chain, from one godown to another and eventually to fair-price shops.

Mizoram requires around 91,000 quintals of rice every month for ration distribution. Of this, 54,798.33 quintals are supplied free of cost by the Food Corporation of India under the National Food Security Act, while the state procures around 36,000 quintals from the open market, Lalchhanzova said.

The state is also planning to substantially reduce its open-market rice procurement in the current financial year.

Procurement for 2026-27 is projected at 3,34,114 quintals, down by 1,45,374 quintals from the 4,79,488 quintals purchased in 2025-26. The reduction is expected to save the state around Rs 52.19 crore, the minister said.

He added that adequate stocks were being maintained, with rice required for December's NFSA distribution currently being lifted from seven FCI depots. A tentative monsoon stock plan covering 66 centres has also been prepared for 2027-28.

According to the department, Mizoram has 1,266 fair price shops and 2,96,051 ration cards covering a population of 11,78,801.