Crack down on PDS anomalies in UP: Pause between transactions a must, sugar overpricing under lens
In a bid to streamline the public distribution system (PDS), the Uttar Pradesh government has introduced two important measures to tackle irregularities in ration distribution by curbing bogus transactions and exposing overcharging, shortchanging and underweighing etc.
As a part of the first measure, the government has mandated a minimum one-minute pause between two consecutive transactions made by any ration dealer through the electronic Point-of-Sale (ePOS) device.
'Much like the protocol followed in ATM transactions, we have mandated the one-minute interval between the consecutive transactions by a ration dealer to prevent bogus or proxy entries which have long plagued the fair price shop network across the state,' principal secretary, food and civil supplies, Ranvir Prasad said.
According to other officials, some dealers were misusing the POS system to quickly process multiple transactions—sometimes without the actual beneficiaries being present—by exploiting saved biometric data or other means.
'The idea is to ensure that every transaction is genuine and done in real time. A mandatory pause between transactions makes it difficult to carry out mass bogus entries and helps detect suspicious behaviour,' said a senior official in the food and civil supplies department.
However, the more disturbing issue has surfaced through a new initiative launched to take direct feedback from the ration beneficiaries. Using a random calling system, the department has begun reaching out to people who collect rations to get their on-ground experiences.
Early feedback has revealed a worrying pattern. Many ration dealers are overcharging poor families while distributing subsidised sugar to them. Households covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), a scheme meant for the poorest of the poor.
Over 40 lakh AAY families across Uttar Pradesh are entitled to get three kg of sugar every three months at subsidised rates of ₹18 per kg. But the feedback has shown that several dealers are asking for more money than the official price.
'We have developed a new system under which we make random calls to beneficiaries asking them a few pointed questions like if their ration dealer behaves properly, dispenses full quantity, charges the right price etc,' Prasad said. 'Some citizens contacted randomly have complained about their being overcharged for sugar while many others complained about under-weighing ration' he added.
He said action on all the complaints about shortchanging, weighing less than required, misbehaviour and overpricing would be taken. 'District officials have been directed to verify the complaints and take immediate corrective steps,' Prasad added.
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