Fair price shops in Odisha to distribute rice through e-PoS

The State Government has directed all Collectors to ensure that rice for families under the newly launched State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) is distributed through e-PoS (Point of Sales) devices.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has directed all Collectors to ensure that rice for families under the newly launched State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) is distributed through e-PoS (Point of Sales) devices.

They have been directed to carry out at least 25 per cent of verification of sale by inspector of supplies or assistant civil supplies officer in charge of block or urban local bodies every month.

“Distribution of stocks at fair price shops will be made only through e-PoS devices. Manual mode of distribution can be resorted to only after approval from ADM, BDO or CSO with proper justification,” said an official.  

While the fair price shops have been asked to complete distribution of rice for the months of October and November by October 25, they will upload sales data on a daily basis in their portal. 

As per the scheme, each beneficiary family will get five kg of rice per person at Re 1 a kilo. The rice would be released only to fair price shops which have valid FPS license for the financial year 2018-19.
Meanwhile, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department has asked all district chiefs to tag the SFSS ration cards to those dealers only who are distributing food grains under National Food Security Act (NFSA).

“Irrational tagging of fair price shops has been observed at the time of digitisation of applications under the SFSS. It shows excess number of fair price shops than that of dealers distributing food grains under NFSA. The collectors have been urged to tag the beneficiaries with the NFSA dealers,” the official said.
Distribution of rice under the scheme has been started since October 2 and districts have been instructed to utilise the required rice stock out of the available stock of rice in fair price shops in other account and recoup from the SFSS account subsequently.     

If any entitled or eligible ration card holder fails to receive his/her quota of PDS commodities on the fixed days of distribution, he/she can receive till end of the month.  “The fair price shops will obtain certificates from gram panchayat level advisory committee on proper distribution of food grains every month and submit to their respective BDOs/Sub-collectors or ADMs,” the official added.  

So far 15,95,475 people from 5,63,112 families have been enrolled under the SFSS and 1,59,547 quintal of rice has been allotted to fair price shops for October and November.