e-POS in ration delivery: Food Commissioner overrules LG

NEW DELHI: A week after his appointment, Delhi Food Commissioner Mohan Jeet Singh overruled Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's orders, wherein the latter had concurred with the Delhi government's proposal of suspending e-POS devices for ration delivery.

Singh issued an order to restore the ration disbursal through e-PoS (electronic point of sale) system to beneficiaries of the public distribution system (PDS).

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had earlier demanded the LG to stop the existing e-PoS system, under which beneficiaries are given ration through biometric identification.

According to Sisodia, the e-POS system – which was implemented in the city from January 1 – is allegedly leading to "open theft" in the distribution of ration.

The Food Commissioner, in his latest orders, cited that these machines have the tenure of recognition of eligibile ration card holders by way of finger prints, iris and one time password (OTP).

As per information received from field officers between January and March 2018, around four lakh PDS beneficiaries in each month did not pick up the ration.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain had earlier written to the LG, flagging the "open theft" in ration delivery under the e-POS system and demanded suspension of the former Food Commissioner RK Meena.

Baijal subsequently ordered suspension of the e-POS system and ordered a probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.