(a) whether the Government has approved a pilot project for computerisation of the Public Distribution System;  (b) if so, the details and the present status thereof indicating the implementing agencies empanelled for the purpose;  (c) whether the Government proposes to converge/share the data generated through the project with the Unique Identification Card Project; and  (d) if so, the details thereof indicating the modalities finalised for transfer of data? ANSWER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI SHARAD PAWAR)  (a),(b),(c) &(d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.  STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO. 187 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 23.11.2010 IN THE LOK SABHA.  (a) & (b): Government of India has approved implementation of the scheme of Computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Operations in a phased manner to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the TPDS. In the first phase, the scheme has been approved to be implemented on pilot basis in three districts each of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Delhi and piloting of food grain bag tracking in one district in Chhattisgarh. The scheme shall concentrate on key functional areas, namely, allocation, off take reporting, storage, movement, finance, licensing & regulation and grievance redressal.  The following implementation agencies have been approved for empanelment for submission of proposals against Request for Proposal (RFP):-  1.       M/s Tata Consultancy Services Limited  2.       M/s HP India Sales Private Limited  3.       M/s Satyam Computer Services Limited (Mahindra Satyam)  4.       M/s Infosys Technologies Limited  Besides, National Informatics Centre (NIC) has also been approved to send the response to the RFP document.  (c) & (d): The Task Force headed by Director General, National Informatics Centre, including representative of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), set up on 9.8.2010, has submitted its report on Computerization of the Public Distribution System. It has inter-alia recommended that the single unified technology platform to be developed shall also be UID enabled to ensure that once UIDAI assigns UID Numbers, it automatically integrates with the application. However, till such time the UID Numbers are provided, States should go ahead with building up the computerized beneficiary data in the State which would be UID enabled. The recommendations of the Task Force have been accepted by the Government.