Aiming to ensure that beneficiaries covered under the food law get the right quantity of foodgrains, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has tweaked norms to promote use of electronic weighing machines at ration shops and their integration with electronic point of sale (ePoS) devices.
“The Department of Food and Public Distribution has issued a notification on 18th June, 2021 to ensure right quantity to beneficiaries in distribution of subsidised foodgrains as per their entitlement under the NFSA, 2013,” an official statement said.
“Any savings if accrued by any State/Union Territory from the additional margin provided towards the cost of purchase, operation and maintenance of the point of sale device, its running expenses and incentive for its use, can
henceforth be utilised for purchase, operations and maintenance of electronic weighing scales and their integration with the point of sale devices,” the statement said.
“While distribution through ePoS devices ensures that subsidised foodgrains are provided to the rightful beneficiary through biometric authentication, integration of ePoS devices with electronic weighing scales would
ensure that the beneficiary is given the right quantity of foodgrains by the Fair Price Shop dealer as per his entitlement,” the statement said.
Accordingly, the scheme 'Assistance to state agencies for intra-state movement of foodgrains and FPS dealers margin under NFSA' provides for additional margin of `17 per quintal to all state governments/Union Territories towards the cost of purchase, operation and maintenance of the point of sale device, its running expenses and incentive for its use.
The additional margin is payable for the fair price shop which has installed a point-of-sale device and is limited to the transactions made through it.
Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the Centre provides 5 kg of wheat and rice (foodgrains) per month per person to around 80 crore people at a subsidised rate of Rs 2-3 per kg.