UP govt to track foodgrain transport with GPS to curb theft

The government has made the system mandatory during the Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26 for paddy transportation. (file)

The Uttar Pradesh government has made GPS-equipped vehicles mandatory for transporting foodgrains from FCI (Food Corporation of India) depots to fair price shops to check diversion, irregularities and theft.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department has engaged over 5,000 vehicles to ensure complete digital surveillance.

Confirming the development, a government spokesperson said, “With the implementation of the GPS-tracking system, now every sack of foodgrain is being monitored, resulting in a decisive curb on theft and black marketing.”

The 5,000 vehicles engaged in foodgrain lifting across the state have been equipped with GPS tracking devices, the spokesperson said. This enables real-time tracking of transportation from the FCI depots to fair price shops, stated the spokesperson. The control system will record details such as vehicle movement, stoppages, route deviations, and timely arrival continuously. The system will lead to a significant reduction in diversion, manipulation, and black marketing of foodgrains during transit, the government stated.

According to the government, for transporting paddy from procurement centres to rice mills, 3,773 GPS-fitted vehicles will be used. For transporting coarse grains such as maize, jowar, and bajra, 1,428 such vehicles will be put to service. The move has ensured transparency across the entire supply chain—from government procurement to storage depots, said sources.

The state has discontinued the block-level godown system and implemented the Single Stage Door Step Delivery model. Under this arrangement, foodgrains are transported directly from FCI depots to fair price shops. The entire process is executed through contractors appointed via e-tendering, reducing human intervention and ensuring accountability.

According to the government, so far in the financial year 2025–26, a total of 8.03 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains and coarse grains have been allocated to selected beneficiaries. In the same financial year, 36,850.35 metric tonnes of sugar have been allocated to Antyodaya beneficiaries. The GPS-based monitoring ensures that these commodities reach beneficiaries on time, without theft or quantity cuts.