KOLKATA: The state Food and Supplies department may provide extra e-pos machines in those ration shops that have a huge number of customers to mitigate the network issue associated with online transactions.
The department has made online transactions through e-pos machines mandatory from August 2.
"There have been some complaints from ration dealers regarding network issues which are associated with the server. The work for strengthening the server is about to get completed and we are hopeful that issues will be solved from the beginning of September," a senior official of the department said.
Previously transactions at ration shops were being carried out in offline mode and the switch over to online mode was put into effect from August 2.
"When there is a complete shift it is nothing unusual that there would be some initial hiccups. But, our service integrator has sorted out the issue," the official added.
He further said the department was also contemplating to provide mobile based e-pos machines through which transaction slips could be generated by fitting scanners with mobile.
There are some unscrupulous ration dealers, who will continue to raise hue and cry as the e-pos machine transactions have eliminated chances of unfair practices associated with the rationing system and has brought in transparency in the distribution process.
"The move ensures that genuine beneficiaries get their allocated share of food grains," the official said. The beneficiaries need to have Aadhaar seeded with ration cards for e-pos transactions.