Use of Technology for improving the Quality of Public Service Delivery

Example - Technology in PDS

A.K.SomasekharTechnical Director, NIC

Solution

If we can reduce corruption and negligence in the delivery mechanism we can improve the quality of service.

Can Technology stop/ reduce Corruption?

(Discussion)

NO

But transparency can reduce corruption

3 Point Strategy to use technology to reduce leakages in PDS

Create transparency so that every one knows what is supposed to happen and what is happening.

Provide most convenient system to lodge

complaint, in case some discrepancy is found.

Build confidence that all the complaints lodged through the system shall be investigated at the earliest.

6

Transparency

All reports in public domain

Truck dispatch information through SMS

Sample SMS

“Shop 442003100/Baktara, Truck CG 09 B0791, Rice: 198.1 qtl. Sugar 7.12 qtl. Salt: 10.96 qtl. Date 20 APR 10 15:49.”

7

Call Centre

A call centre to lodge complaints or for any inquiry, with toll free number – 1800-233-3663. Operational between 8 AM and 10 PM on all working days, since 21st January, 2008

Call centre number displayed at every FPS

Complaints lodged are entered in a web-based application and monitored in real time at all levels

Grievance redressal status is available online in public domain

8

Complaint Monitoring System

Complaints lodged are entered in a web-based application and monitored in real time at all levels

Grievance redressal status is available online in public domain

Situation before initiative

As a result

Leakages and diversion have drastically come down

Genuine beneficiary in Chhattisgarh is no doubt, getting her full entitlements.

But still there are problems faced by beneficiary at FPS.

Most common problems faced by beneficiary at FPS

FPS is not open when the beneficiary wants to take her rations, leading to additional trips.

FPS declares 'no stock' even when the FPS has sufficient stocks, leading to additional trips.

The sales person does not accord due respect to the beneficiary or sometimes misbehaves.

Most common problems faced by beneficiary at FPS (contd.)

Overcharging – The sales person charges more than what is chargeable.

Deliberate under-weighment & Adulteration of the commodities by sales person.

Beneficiary may need to spend at least half a day to take commodities because of long queues.

Solution to above problems

No technology can solve the above problems. But portability can solve the problems. Portability empowers beneficiary to go to an FPS giving better services, there by creating a reason for improvement in service at FPS.

Solution is the ‘Beneficiary empowerment’

Power of right to chose

Q Why your colony's provision shop-wala shall never ill-treat you?

A if he ill-treats you or hurts your ego you will stop going to the shop. Because you have freedom to chose where to purchase he will treat you well.

What COREPDS offers

The convenience that technology has given to a bank account holder to withdraw money from any ATM, is being offered to a poor BPL beneficiary in COREPDS

CORE PDS- How it works

Every FPS has a POS device

Smart Ration card for a BPL beneficiary

Smart card has no biometrics. Uses KMS supplied by NICHQ

Multiple instruments for authentication

Smart Ration Card

RSBY Card

Registered mobile through OTP

Aadhaar (To whoever is available)

No instrument for taking PDS commodities at their own FPS

[ No genuine beneficiary should be denied her entitlements due to technical or operational issues]

RISKS, CHALLENGES & MITIGATION STRATEGY

Risk 1

Implementation of CORE PDS acts against the interest of many FPS Agencies. It is not wise to assume that FPS will sincerely try to implement CORE PDS

Mitigation Strategy

When one FPS says that the POS is not working beneficiary can go to a near by FPS. FPS that can not run COREPDS loses its business to other FPSs.

FPS automation without portability as tried in some States is difficult to sustain

Freedom to chose

Currently 20% of beneficiaries are using portability. Remaining beneficiaries are taking at their own FPS, but now with their choice not by compulsion.

At this context I want to refer Amartya Sen’s quotation which is as follows

From 'Development as Freedom', p 27

"A person produces the same commodities in the same way and ends up with same income and buys the same goods, she may still have very good reason to prefer the scenario of free choice over that of submission to order"

Amartya Sen

Winner of the nobel prize in economics

What kind of FPS automation?

Online system, but should support a limited offline transactions

Aadhaar-based Biometric authentication with alternate authentication mechanism

Smart cards for quick start without waiting for Aadhaar saturation and to allow for offline transactions

Thank You

Technology can be used to improve the quality of public service delivery, when used juidiciously

A.K.Somasekhar

som@nic.in,

94252 02643

Thank you

A.K.Somasekhar

som@nic.in

94252 02643