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Time of India
20-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delhi to link digital scales with ePoS at ration shops
New Delhi: In a move to enhance transparency and accountability in Delhi's Public Distribution System (PDS), the food and civil supplies department will soon integrate electronic point of sale (ePoS) devices with digital weighing machines at all 1,967 fair price shops (FPS) across the city. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This step aims to curb manipulation in manual weighing, which often leads to under-delivery of subsidised food grains. The digital system will reduce the scope for fraud and ensure accurate quantity delivery to beneficiaries, an official said. The decision was made on the instructions of food and civil supplies minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, after a meeting with department officials and the Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh. "This integration is a long-awaited reform that will eliminate discrepancies and ensure real-time authentication," Sirsa stated. He directed all FPS dealers and officials to ensure regular maintenance of ePoS machines, stressing that no eligible beneficiary should be denied ration due to technical issues. He also reinforced the implementation of the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme to ensure timely distribution of ration to migrant beneficiaries. "Strict action will be taken against FPS dealers who deny rightful ration under NFSA. All shops must clearly display ONORC eligibility details to help migrant beneficiaries access their entitlements easily," the official said. The integration will enable real-time weight data recording during transactions, helping prevent stock diversion and malpractices. tnn
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Over 34,000 ‘silent' beneficiaries to be removed from free ration scheme
Around 34,798 silent ration card holders in Ludhiana district are likely to be excluded from accessing subsidised ration for the July to September quarter, if they failed to complete e-KYC verification by the stipulated deadline of July 15, officials familiar with the matter said. The initiative aims to eliminate bogus and ineligible beneficiaries, ensuring transparency in ration distribution. (HT Photo) According to officials, these beneficiaries have not availed their entitled free ration for over a year, putting them at risk of exclusion from the public distribution system under the Centre's 'One Nation One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme. The initiative aims to eliminate bogus and ineligible beneficiaries, ensuring transparency in ration distribution. According to a notification issued by the Central government on March 17, 2023, all states and Union Territories were directed to launch a 100% e-KYC campaign at fair price shops under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The move is aimed to create space for the creation of new ration cards after weeding out the bogus one. According to data, there are a total 86,875 beneficiaries in Ludhiana district that fall under the 'silent' category, those who have not availed their ration in recent months. Among them, 34,798 individuals have remained inactive for over a year, while another 52,077 have not claimed their entitlement for a period ranging from six months to a year. With these figures, Ludhiana ranks highest in the state, accounting for a staggering 23% of Punjab's 3.72 lakh silent ration card holders. A senior official from the district food and civil supplies department said that the cases of these inactive card holders have been under scrutiny as part of an ongoing verification drive. 'Many of them are suspected to have obtained ration cards for the sole purpose of availing other welfare benefits such as Ayushman cards, without ever collecting subsidised foodgrains. In some cases, beneficiaries have relocated and no longer reside in the district,' the official added. Meanwhile, to prevent wrongful exclusion, the department has initiated efforts to reach out to such beneficiaries, urging them to complete their e-KYC before July 15. If they fail to do so, then it will result in their ration cards being frozen, and they will be barred from receiving the quarterly wheat allocation which is 15 kg per person, officials said. When contacted, Sartaaj Singh Cheema, district food supplies controller (Ludhiana West), confirmed the development. 'Beneficiaries who have not availed their free ration for more than a year are likely to be excluded from subsidised wheat allocation for the July to September quarter. However, no such action will be taken against those whose inactivity ranges between six months to a year,' he said.
NDTV
11-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Ration Shops Under Watch: Delhi To Monitor Delivery With Real-Time Weighing
The Delhi Government has announced a major step to ensure fair and transparent ration delivery at all Fair Price Shops (FPS) in the city. Every ration shop in the capital will now be equipped with a digital weighing machine linked directly to the electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) system. This new move will cover all 1,967 ration shops in Delhi and aims to make sure that every beneficiary gets the exact quantity of food grains they are entitled to - with no room for malpractice, including under-weighing and stock diversion- longstanding issues in the PDS. Announcing the decision, Delhi's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "This integration will stop any tampering or under-weighing. Beneficiaries will be able to see the weight in real-time, making the whole process more transparent and trustworthy." Until now, many ration shops relied on manual weighing or outdated systems that allowed scope for manipulation. With the new system, the weighing machine will be connected to the billing machine. As the grains are weighed, the data will be recorded instantly and printed on the receipt - leaving no room for dispute. "This will build trust among beneficiaries. What you see is what you get," said the Minister. Minister has issued a clear warning to ration shop owners: no eligible person should be turned away. Under the central government's One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, people can collect their rations anywhere in India - including inter-state migrants "Denying rations to beneficiaries-whether due to technical glitches or administrative negligence-is unacceptable. Strict action will be taken against dealers who violate these norms," Mr Sirsa warned. He also instructed that ONORC-related eligibility details be mandatorily displayed at all shops to prevent confusion and assist migrant beneficiaries The Minister stressed the need for regular upkeep of ePoS machines and digital weighing devices to avoid service disruption. Dealers have been asked to report technical faults immediately, and department officials will oversee maintenance logs to ensure uninterrupted service. During the meeting, FPS dealers raised several operational concerns, including delays in supply and infrastructure issues. Minister assured them of swift redressal and reiterated the government's commitment to working in partnership with ration dealers to strengthen the system. Delhi's push for real-time weighing and stricter oversight is a step toward cleaner, more transparent ration delivery. But as the changes roll out, one question remains: will they truly improve the experience for those at the last mile?
Hans India
01-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Missed the bus, No worries! Ration card holders can draw ‘Sanna Biyyam' in Sept
Hyderabad: With June 30 being the last day for collecting the 3-months ration, those who failed to receive will be able to get the next entitlements only in September. So far, the Civil Supplies department supplied 5.414 lakh MTs, totalling 94.62 per cent from allocations. According to official sources, the awareness amongst the people and State government's decision to distribute Sanna Biyyam for the first time this time was 94.62 per cent, distributed from the total allocation of 5.722 lakh MTs for the months of June, July and August, topping the distribution in this one and half year (present government). While PDS (Public Distribution System) stood below 90 % before the launch of Sanna Biyyam scheme, after its launch (in April) it was recorded 91.96 % in April and 91.45 % in May. While the entire year of 2024 witnessed 89 % with a total distribution of 19 lakh MTs from allocations of 21 lakh MTs. 'Before Sannabiyyam, the average rice distribution was 88% due to low acceptance of coarse rice among the beneficiaries. After Sanna Biyyam (April onwards), the distribution improved to an average of 91.96% with the introduction of fine rice. In June, a 3-month ration was provided in advance and close to 95 % of the total rice has been distributed. The consistent rise in distribution, even during a high-load, 3-month advance cycle, proves that Sanna Biyyam is not only better accepted but also strengthening the efficiency of the PDS system in Telangana,' officials told The Hans India. By the end of June, the districts of Hyderabad (104%), Medchal (116%) and Ranga Reddy (111%) had crossed the distribution of over 100 %. This overwhelming response is attributed to collection by residents who are native to other States. The 'One Nation One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme was launched in 2019 with inter-state portability. This was initially introduced in four states and extended to other states as well. The scheme aims to ensure food security for all, including migrant workers, by allowing them to access PDS benefits from any fair price shop across the country. The distribution continued throughout the month from June 1. It peaked between June 3 and June 14. During the last days of the month only few remaining collected the rice, as the distribution mechanism was declared closed till September.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Most unverified PDS beneficiaries from Punjab in Ludhiana, Centre reveals
Ludhiana district has reported the highest number of unverified Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries in Punjab following the conclusion of the Centre's e-KYC drive under the flagship 'One Nation One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme on June 30, officials familiar with the matter said. Most unverified PDS beneficiaries from Punjab in Ludhiana, Centre reveals According to official data, nearly 3.6 lakh beneficiaries in Ludhiana have failed to complete their biometric authentication, amounting to around 10% of such cases across Punjab. These individuals are now likely to be weeded out from the PDS system, which provides free wheat to eligible ration card holders, officials said. Notably, Punjab has a total of 33,48,204 ration card beneficiaries where Ludhiana alone accounted for over 18.1 lakh of them during the time of the drive. Of these, around 46,439 individuals, including deceased and migrant beneficiaries have already been removed from the system. A senior official from the food and supplies department asserted that Ludhiana's high number of unverified beneficiaries is largely due to its large migrant population. Many of these individuals frequently move in and out of the district in search of work, making it difficult for officials to reach them and complete biometric verification during the e-KYC drive. Officials further explained that under the PDS, each beneficiary in Punjab is entitled to receive 15kg of free wheat every quarter. However, as per fresh instructions from the Centre and the state food and supplies department, free wheat for the July–September quarter will only be given to families whose heads have completed the verification. Drive aimed at transparency The e-KYC drive is part of the Centre's larger push for transparency and accountability in foodgrain distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), through the ONORC scheme. The initiative aimed at plugging loopholes in the system through digital drive, where each beneficiary was mandated to verify their eligibility through biometric authentication. In a March 17, 2023 notification, the central government had directed all states and UTs to ensure 100% e-KYC coverage at fair price shops (ration depots) to prevent misuse of subsidies, and outdated records from the system. The aim of this drive was not just to remove bogus entries but also to create space for new, deserving beneficiaries to be brought into the fold, officials stated. When contacted, district food supplies controller (Ludhiana West), Sartaaj Singh Cheema, said, 'Around 80% of beneficiaries in Ludhiana district have completed their e-KYC. As of now we have not received any official instructions regarding the distribution of free wheat to these excluded beneficiaries in the next quarter.'
