Agents asked to use e-POS devices for rice grain distribution
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 16 2021: All FPS agents are to compulsorily use e-POS devices while obtaining biometric authentication of NFSA/PMGKAY beneficiaries at the time of distribution of food grains so that there is no deduction of monthly allocation of NFSA in the future.

Citing non-utilisation of e-POS devices by the FBS agents at the time of distribution of the food-grains provided to the state as the root cause of controversial issues periodically cropping up in the state, CAF&PD joint secretary Ranjan Yumnam issued an office memorandum asking DSOs to organise sensitisation programmes in the shortest possible timeframe to convey the seriousness of the matter of insufficient usage of e-POS devices and comply in letter and spirit the office memorandum.

Honorarium for Fair Price Shop Agents will only be considered on satisfactory adoption of e-POS devices and for the quantity recorded in the e-POS devices only, it stated.

It further informed that the allocation under NFSA for July 2021 has been reduced from 10610.645 MTs to 2831.92 MTs due to adjustment against quantity of food-grains supposedly kept undistributed under PMGKAY and ANB during 2020 .

The discrepancy in quantity actually distributed and shown to be kept undistributed under the two schemes is due to non-usage of e-POS devices adequately during April 2020 and November 2021, the office memorandum noted and informed that there is a strong possibility of such deduction in the monthly quantity of NFSA due to non-usage of e-POS devices by the FPS Agents.

The memorandum also stated that One Nation One ration Card (ONORC) has been implemented in the state as part of the nationwide technology-driven intervention under Public Distribution System of food grains for facilitating portability of Ration Cards under NFSA/PMGKAY.

The state government has also introduced automation of Fair Price Shops in Manipur for distribution of food grains through 2340 e-POS devices which were distributed to respective FPS Agents in Manipur.

Use of the e-POS devices by the FPS Agents has not been satisfactory and manual distribution is observed to be a norm rather than exception at the time of distribution of the food grains under NFSA, it said.

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