LG okays home delivery of ration with riders

NEW DELHI: Days after the Delhi government alleged that there are fraudulent transactions through e-POS based ration distribution system, the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Monday ordered a probe by the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB). The LG has also ordered the withdrawal of the e-POS-based ration distribution system after receiving the request from the CM and the Delhi Food Minister.

He also asserted that with safeguards, the government can initiate home delivery of ration scheme too.

"Introduction of e-PoS devices is part of a national level reform in the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) to enable end-to-end tracking of food grains. The objective of e-PoS devices is to ensure that only genuine cardholders or his or her family members whose names are mentioned in the ration card can buy the subsidized commodities," noted a statement from LG office.

The statement also noted that since CM and Food Minister had also made serious allegations of fraudulent withdrawal of rations by misuse of OTP authentication in the e-PoS system, the LG has referred the entire matter to the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) in view of the seriousness of the allegations.

The LG also assured that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty. On the proposal of doorstep delivery of services, the LG reiterated that the same was never rejected. He hoped that sufficient safeguards are being put in place by the elected government in the proposed doorstep delivery scheme since the same e-PoS machines, whose operation is being suspended now, are proposed to be used for biometric authentication of the beneficiaries in the doorstep delivery scheme.

"If the elected government is convinced that sufficient checks and balances have been put in place in the proposed doorstep delivery of ration scheme and the issue highlighted by him in the previous note have been addressed, he has no objection to the implementation of the same," noted the statement.