JOIN USPDS goes hitech in State
Soon, don’t be surprised if the man at the fair price shop weighs your monthly ration of kerosene, before selling it to you.
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Jeevaraj said on Wednesday that the new system was being implemented as there were allegations about fair price shops selling kerosene adulterated with soap and some chemicals so that there is lather and the consumers can be cheated in the measurement.
The minister was speaking to reporters after inspecting the working of state-of-the-art electronic weighing machines at the fair price shops in the city on Wednesday.
The new system of distributing ration will be extended to all districts in phases, the minister said. The project will be completed in five districts, including Chikmagalur, by March next.
The weighing machines will have built in biometric systems wherein two members of a family have to register their fingerprints and any of them can avail the rations. The machines will have details of the rations available for a particular month stored in them.
When consumers show their fingerprints, the machines will display the items available. Consumers can avail only the quantity required by them. The remainder can be availed in the subsequent month. The speaker attached to the weighing machine gives out the availability details.
The breakup of ration availed is updated on the department website.
The new system would ensure that all those eligible for the public distribution system (PDS) are included and the loopholes in the weights and measurements are addressed. It ensures that unauthorised persons do not avail a particular consumer’s ration quota, Jeevaraj said.