Considered as one of the biggest reform in bringing transparency in the public distribution system, the introduction of electronic point of sale(ePoS) machines at all the government run ration depots as well as private fair price shops across Jammu and Kashmir is facing the biggest hurdle of fast internet service in the absence of which scores of consumer often return without ration.
Around three years back, the then state government decided to install electronic point of sale machines (ePoS) at all the government run ration depots and at present all the ration depots equipped with the ePoS machines distribute ration by this system only. The introduction of such machines will ensure that consumer can not buy ration by using others ration card besides the details of the stock at each ration depot is linked to the new system.
As per the new scheme, a ration card holder will be directly identified and the allotted quantity of supply will be distributed to him. The consumers will be recognised by cross checking their fingerprint in Aadhar using the biometric In the machine.
The new way of ration distribution has raised eyebrows as it has been seen at most of the ration depots that the consumer often return empty handed as the server is based on 2 G network with the result it takes lot of time in identifying the finger print of a consumer.
“The electronic point of sale machine often takes lot of time in identifying the fingerprint of a consumer due to low internet speed. The sluggish approach of the machine results in wastage of consumers time. With the result, the consumers often return empty handed as he can not spend hours at a ration depots owing to his working schedule” said an employee of CAPD.
In Baramulla district there are around 211439 ration cards for 211439 registered consumers. All such consumers are directly linked online with the newly designed system.
The new designed system is often proving time consuming system for a consumer. As the system either is slow system owing to 2 G networking or its server often develops snag, resulting in severe inconvenience to people. The another issue with the point of sale machines is that in minus temperature these machines are drained fast. Though such machines are chargeable, however, all the ration depots especially across Baramulla district had no electricity connection with the result such machines stop working following the battery issue.
“There is immediate need of backup for such machines especially at a place were temperature is low during the winter. In Ladakh region all the ration depots are provided extra set of battery to deal with the low temperature,” said an official of CAPD department.
While another issue the department of CAPD is facing that the server often develops snag which results in the delay in the distribution of the ration. Recently at Chenad area of Baramulla district, scores of consumers resorted to protest and blocked the road after their was considerable delay in the ration distribution caused by some snag in the server.
The other issue with the consumers in Uri area of the Baramulla district is that at several places the point of sale machines are not functioning as security forces have installed jammers there. There are around seven places across Baramulla district where authorities need to start offline mode for the ration distribution system.