Vietnam’s Rice ATMs duplicated in India
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| IndianExpress run an article about the launching of the Rice ATM in India (Photo: Captured) |
As reported by Indian Express, the first Rice ATM was installed in Bengaluru in late December, becoming Karnataka’s first rice dispensing machine ever. The initiative is part of the Centre’s pilot project ‘Annapurti’, which is being implemented in close partnership with the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP).
Automatic grain dispensing machines will also be set up at five locations across five states Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. These machines, expected to check malpractices in the PDS, can dispense two commodities at a speed of 25 kg per 1.3 minutes. Each of these dispensers has a built-in storage capacity of 200-500 kg.
The minister said that Rice ATMs will be beneficial for members of a Below Poverty Line household (BFL) carholders, who don’t find time to go to the PDS centre during working hours.
To make Rice ATM’s convenient for public usage, the government is also considering a smart card or a biometric system similar to bank ATMs.
Vietnam's Rice ATM (Video: Vietnamnet)
| Earlier in May, Indonesia also replicated Vietnam’s Rice ATM to distribute the staple to its citizens. The Rice ATM also made a debut in the Timor-Leste late May. The machine has a distribution capacity to 3,000-4,000 people/day and could be installed and put into service immediately upon arrival. |
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| Vietnamese people waiting in line for their turn to get rice from the rice dispensing machine (Photo: VNE) |
| The Rice ATM, which made a debut in Ho Chi Minh City in early April, was quick to be multiplied and installed across Vietnam. For the past month, the novel model has been automatically dispensing free rice 24/7 to people badly affected by the COVID 19 pandemic, drawing praise and support nationwide. Tons of rice have been given freely to the poor across the country daily. The number of Rice ATM and their operation time have, however, been reduced since late April when Vietnam ended its prolonged social distancing period, “as people could come back to normal life at that time”, according to Tuan Anh. As of now, Vietnamese citizens can still receive one free bag of rice on a weekly or monthly basis. The rice dispenser has made international headlines, with major news agencies like CNN, Reuters, etc., lauded the idea as “it sounds too good to be true”. |
 COVID-19 Updates (Nov 19): Miss Vietnam candidates brought rice ATM to workers affected by COVID-19 The group of Miss Vietnam contestants implemented a large project supporting more than 500 workers in difficulty in Bac Ninh. |
 International researchers praise success story of Vietnam in fighting COVID-19 Two international researchers from academic institutions in the UK recently wrote an article on The Conversation to discuss how Vietnam can be so successful in ... |
 Rice ATM initiator: Heart-warming donation in COVID-19 season After the success of the Noodle ATM, Dr. Hoang Tuan continues to launch the Rice ATM program, donating some 30 tons of rice to impoverished ... |
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