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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched the country’s first e-ration service through which people can apply and obtain ration cards and check availability of foodgrains.
The new service will arrest procedural delays and ensure more transparency, Kejriwal said.
“It is our duty to ensure that every poor gets food security. We know most of the ration cards do not reach the eligible holder,” he said at the launch.
According to a senior government official, whenever an application for providing food security gets approved by the concerned Food Supply Officer, a message will be sent on the registered mobile number of the beneficiary.
After getting the SMS confirming approval of the application, one can take the print-out of his ration card, which will be valid like e-ticket.
But the e-ration card service is not the only remedy for issues that plague the public distribution system, Delhi CM said.
Sounding an alarm for the ration mafia, he said, “Many start ration shops only to make extra money. To them I say, either set yourself straight or leave the business.” He claimed that the distribution registers with fair price shop owners generally have many fake entries.
Meanwhile, officials say that the website of department of food and supplies has been upgraded to give live update of number of people who have received benefits under the food security scheme.
Using the modified site, the beneficiaries will be able check locations of nearby fair price shops and quantity and rate of rations available there. The website will also allow online monitoring of all the 70 offices of the department.
Chief Secretary K K Sharma said the AAP government is also working on an app that will enable digital log entries.
“Our next step will be to provide a tablet to each fair price shop owner. Whenever he will make an entry for the distributed ration, an SMS will be generate to the recipient,” he said.