Leh: The Union Territory of Ladakh’s decision to provide an additional 5 kilograms of foodgrains per month to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families—beyond their National Food Security Act (NFSA) entitlement—has earned high praise from the Government of India. Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, hailed the move as a reflection of Ladakh’s strong commitment to ensuring food security for its most vulnerable citizens, especially in the face of the region’s unique geographic and climatic challenges.
Chopra was in Leh to chair a high-level review meeting with the UT Administration, focusing on the performance and future roadmap of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Ladakh. The meeting saw participation from Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Administrative Secretary Bhupesh Chaudhary, FCI General Manager L. Chatru Naik (J&K and Ladakh), and senior officials from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Informatics Centre (NIC), and the UT’s Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department.
A key agenda was the strengthening of food supply chains in Ladakh’s high-altitude and remote areas. Officials reviewed the linkage of FCI divisional offices with revenue districts to ensure smoother delivery and greater operational efficiency. Challenges related to storage capacity and infrastructure were also discussed in detail, with a focus on enhancing logistical capabilities in difficult terrain.
Progress under the Ladakh Food Security Scheme (LFSS) and NFSA was also evaluated. The Secretary stressed the importance of Aadhaar authentication and e-KYC compliance for beneficiaries to prevent duplication, eliminate leakages, and ensure that subsidised foodgrains reach only eligible households. Efforts toward identifying and removing bogus ration cards were acknowledged as critical to improving the integrity of the welfare system.
In a significant milestone, Ladakh was also recognised as the first Union Territory in India to implement the SMART-PDS system. This end-to-end digital platform enables real-time tracking of foodgrain movement and distribution, contributing to transparency, accountability, and better service delivery across the region.
Secretary Chopra appreciated Ladakh’s proactive approach and called for continued synergy between central and UT-level agencies to strengthen last-mile delivery mechanisms. He also lauded the administration’s dedication to implementing innovative, citizen-centric welfare models tailored to Ladakh’s unique needs.
The meeting was attended by key officials including Tahir Hussain, KL Meena (FCI Ladakh), Sunil Kaul (NIC Ladakh), Assistant Directors Ruth Mary and Samina Khatoon (Food Civil Supplies), Shujat Ali (TSO RCMS), Phunchok Dolkar (Manager, FCI Phyang), and Tsering Toldan (Manager, FCI Leh).
The session concluded with a shared commitment to making Ladakh a model for efficient, inclusive, and digitally-enabled public distribution in India.
