Designation of authorized officer permits sharing of taxpayer information to identify beneficiaries under PMGKAY for food distribution. The Central Government designates the Joint Secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution as the authorized officer under sub-clause (ii) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 138 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, to receive and use income-tax payer information for identifying eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).