State fair price shops to have E-pos machines for transparency

SHILLONG: Meghalaya has engaged a firm to ensure transparency in the distribution of PDS items.
A senior government official said the Civil Supplies Department has issued work order to the firm for e-pos machines in this regard after a tendering process.
The e-pos (electronic point of sale) in a ration shop is to ease the distribution of PDS items to the beneficiaries.
According to the official, the firm is doing Fair Price Shop (FPS) automation work in more than 15 states, including almost all the states of the North East.
The firm will do handholding, training and awareness generation in Meghalaya.
“This is part of our PDS reforms by joining other states and taking up Fair Price Shop (FPS) automation which includes digitization of beneficiaries data and e-pos machines at all fair price shops so that beneficiaries receive printed receipts for PDS items and the monitoring is easy”, the official said.
The fund required for the mammoth exercise is around Rs 30 crore which the state government has to immediately bear as one time expenditure’, the official added. However, the exercise may face challenge due to poor mobile connectivity and low aadhaar penetration. “We accept the problem and are working on it”, the official said.
Unclaimed cards
There were media reports in the past that many unclaimed PDS cards are misused to avail the benefits. When asked about the issue, the official said the unclaimed PDS cards are mainly in East Khasi Hills.
“The Director of Supply Office has taken up the issue of verification of the unclaimed cards and deletion so that the deserving people can raise claims for inclusion under NFSA act,” the official said.
As special claims and objections on campaign mode have ended, fresh claims will be examined and inclusion could be done, the official said, adding that the matter will be taken up with the Deputy Commissioner.