Kolkata, New Delhi, INDIA. New York, USA.
Business To Business, New Delhi, 27th May, 2026: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a five-year extension of the SARTHAK-PDS scheme with an outlay of ₹25,530 crore, extending support through March 2031.
The scheme is designed to modernise India’s public distribution system (PDS) by integrating technology-led reforms and improving last-mile delivery of foodgrains. It also aims to reduce leakages and strengthen transparency in distribution networks.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also approved revised norms for central assistance to states and Union Territories. This includes funding support for intra-state movement and handling of foodgrains, as well as revised margins for fair price shop (FPS) dealers, while keeping the existing funding pattern unchanged.
SARTHAK-PDS consolidates two earlier initiatives—assistance for intra-state foodgrain logistics and FPS dealer margins under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), along with the SMART-PDS modernisation programme—into a single unified framework aimed at improving efficiency and accountability in the system.