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Operational Guideline for Digitization of Ration Cards

Food and Supplies,

One major step to reform the prevailing TPDS system is to digitize the information of the Ration Card holders so that a complete Digitized Ration card database of the ration card holders may be constructed and made available online.

Government of West Bengal
Food and Supplies Department
11A, Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata-700 011

Memo No. 57-JS/FS/P/Sectt/IT-02/2013 Dated 3rd October, 2013

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE

For digitization of Ration Cards

The Government of West Bengal has taken a number of steps to reform the prevailing TPDS system. One major step is to implement end to end computerization. The initial steps towards this end is to digitize the information of the Ration Card holders so that a complete Digitized Ration card database of the ration card holders may be constructed and made available online.

Ration Cards have been distributed by The Food & Supplies Department, West Bengal (hereinafter referred to as “the Department”). The number of ration cards/records is about 9.20 crore spread across state. Data Digitization of ration cards will be carried out for approximately 9.2 crores records spread out in 341 Blocks & 55 Rationing Areas, 67 Sub-Divisions, 19 districts, 3 Divisions of the state. Major activities involved shall be collection of information from existing records, data entry, validation of the data with National Population Register (NPR) or SECC Data, uploading of corrected data on relevant software/ platform/ application, submission of hard copy, online correction, etc during the project period.

The Food and Supplies Department has selected WIPRO Limited as agency for accomplishing the said activities.

Scope of Work

  1. The WIPRO Limited shall have to deploy two operators at Fair Price Shops (FPS) for the period scheduled for this purpose. There are 20278 Fair Price Shops all over West Bengal.
  2. These operators shall be responsible to collect the data in the form the ration cards carried by the ration card holders which are to be digitized based on the data of NPR following the process mentioned in the foregoing section. After digitization of each ration card, the operator will mark each and every Ration Card with a stamp “Digitized”,
  3. The operators will have to search name of the Ration Card holders from installed database using the software installed in the Tablet PC/ device. Once a name is found Ration Card Number (of Max 10 character), Category of the card (to be selected from drop down) have to be typed in the software. In case the name is not found in the installed database following entries are to be made through the software: Ration Card holder’s name (Maximum 100 character), Father’s/ spouse name (Max 100 character), Gender (to be selected from drop down), Age (Max 3 character), Head of the Family’s name and Relationship with the head of the family (selection from dropdown), Ration card Number (10 character), Category of the card (to be selected from drop down).
  4. WIPRO Limited will be responsible for installation of software and database at each tablet PC and to deploy the tablet PCs/ suitable device for each FPS duly equipped with relevant database and software application.
  5. The WIPRO Limited shall have to engage Master trainer for each block and sub-area who will in turn train up the operators on operation of the software. These Master trainers will also act as supervisor at Block level and Sub-Area Level. Training of the Master Trainers will be provided by this Department. WIPRO Limited will be responsible to setup necessary infrastructure such as Computers, Printers, UPS, Internet connectivity, Furniture, DG set etc. at Block level/ Municipality for regular storage and uploading of data at the specified website. For rationing area (Sub-Area) such setup is to be made at Municipality offices or at Borough Office or at Rationing Offices as the case may be. [Action: Block/ Municipalities to provide space for setting up such infrastructure]
  6. WIPRO Limited shall be responsible to carry out said digitization work for relevant FPS with the help of the offline application provided by Food & Supplies Department, West Bengal, developed by NIC.
  7. WIPRO Limited will be responsible to produce first print out of all the data in prescribed format, (here by referred as “Checklist”) generated from the online application for the verification of digitized data by respective Block/ Municipal level. These check lists will be verified with the existing dealer registers at Block level/ Municipality level. [Action: The Block Development Officer/ Competent Officers of Municipalities/ Municipal Corporations will take necessary steps for verifying these check lists with the dealer’s registers. For details see point 6 under roles and responsibilities]
  8. WIPRO Limited will be responsible for coordination with the BDOs/ Municipal Authorities of respective FPS for getting the list of errors found in data entry. Inspector F&S will mark the error records with red color.
  9. WIPRO Limited will collect all hard copy of checklist from Block/ Municipalities and rectify the mentioned errors which were indicated by red color by Block level/ Municipal level officials. This is to be done online. So set up of PC with internet connectivity at Block Level will be essential.
  10. WIPRO Limited shall be responsible for making correction of error of the records marked by Inspector F &S during the verification process. WIPRO Limited should complete the correction process in 15 days.
  11. WIPRO Limited shall be responsible for ensuring 100 percent accuracy before making final submission.
  12. WIPRO Limited shall be responsible for on line rectification of the finally corrected data on specified portal after receiving approval from Blocks/ Municipalities.
  13. The WIPRO Limited shall be responsible to deploy operators at FPS level for 2 (Two) number of mop-up rounds each consisting of 15 days in successive two months after online correction of data.
  14. The WIPRO Limited shall be responsible for setting up infrastructure and deployment of at least two operators at the offices of The Sub-Divisional Controller of Food and Supplies (67 such offices) and at the Office of the Joint Director of Rationing (6 such offices) for one year after completion of the mop-up rounds for addressing issues like addition, modification and deletion of records and giving related technical supports.
  15. WIPRO Limited shall be responsible for providing weekly progress report district wise, block wise to the department and Food & Supplies Department, West Bengal.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT DISTRICT AND BLOCK/ MUNICIPALITY LEVEL:

1. Training of Block Level Supervisors: The Food and Supplies Department has completed training of the Block Level Supervisors engaged by WIPRO regarding use of the software/ devices and the method of operation.

2. Training of the Operators: The Block Level Supervisors will in turn train up the operators who will be deployed at FPS level. The Block Development Officers/ Competent authority of the concerned Municipality/ Municipal Corporation may kindly provide space for such training at Block/ Municipality level, if approached by WIPRO.

3. Publicity and mobilization: Apart for advertisements to be published in the news papers and radio (which will be done centrally by the Food and Supplies Department) the media plan is as follows:

a. One Flex containing the materials stated in the Annexure-I is to be arranged to be displayed at each Block Office, Municipality Office, at Office of the District Magistrate, Office of the Sub Divisional Officer, Office of the Sub-Divisional Controller of Food and Supplies, each Gram Panchayat Office and at each Municipality/ Municipal Corporation

b. Extensive arrangement is to be made for miking at each Gram Panchayat area covering the points mentioned in Annexure-I.

c. Fund for this purpose will be made available to the District Magistrates @ Rs. 300/- per flex and @ Rs. 1500/- for each Gram Panchayat/ Municipality.

4. Logistic Arrangement at FPS level: The MR Dealers should take necessary steps for arranging two power points of 5 AMP and for sitting or working space arrangement for the operators at each FPS.

5. Arrangement for crowd management: It is expected that during the initial days of the main round of digitization a substantial number of people may assemble at FPS for digitizing the ration card data. The process flow may not be optimum during some initial days. Police authority may be kept informed about the schedule so that necessary measures may be taken in case of necessity.

6. District Controller of Food and Supplies should ensure that all the ration shops remain open during all days excepting declared holidays and remain open during the scheduled hours.

7. Verification of the printouts of checklists: As stated in the para 7 of the scope of work, the printout of the check list of ration card holders provided by WIPRO Ltd at Block/ Municipal level is to be re-checked and verified under the supervision of the Block Development Officers/ Competent officials of Urban Local Bodies as the case may be. The check list is to be verified with the Dealers’ registers which are to be arranged by the concerned Inspectors of Food and Supplies Department. The discrepancies found in the spelling of “Name as in Ration Card” in the print out vis-a vis Dealers’ register should be corrected on the printout. Similarly the mistakes found in recording type of Ration Card, Ration Card No, Folio No, sex etc should be corrected. A separate print out will be provided for the cases where the matching of ration card could not be made with the NPR/SECC data. In such cases apart from verifying with the Dealers’ register the endeavor would be to find out the TIN of such persons from the draft list of SECC. The TIN so found is to be written manually on the printouts of checklists. This is particularly important because, as the ration card database so created will be matched with the SECC database for identifying the priority households for the purpose of implementing National Food Security Act, 2013.

Sd/- Joint Secretary
Food and Supplies Department

No. 57-JS dated 03.10.2013

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