THE Government is exploring options to modernise ration shops and make them viable. Many such fair price shops (FPS) have been automated and some digitised to enable cashless transactions.
There is also a move to enable these shops to offer more products and services apart from those included within the public distribution system (PDS).
Tamil Nadu shared a presentation on such transformation during a conference of Food Secretaries in the National Capital late last year. Among the initiatives undertaken by the state were selling of commodities, minor millets, and grocery items. The state is also encouraging ISO certification of FPS.
Mini LPG cylinders
Ration shops in Maharashtra, Goa, and Rajasthan have been selling mini LPG cylinders for the past two years. Sharing this information in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli had said that as per the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Control Order 2015, the licenses to the Fair Price Shop (FPS) owners are issued by the respective State Governments/UTs keeping in view the viability of the FPSs.
He added that FPS are empowered to allow the sale of commodities other than the foodgrain distributed under the TPDS to improve the viability of their operations.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution has further provided a common meeting ground to states/UTs and the Oil Marketing Companies to take the initiative of sale of mini LPG Cylinders at FPS, forward.
Ministry workshops
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution conducts workshops to deliberate upon further initiatives to make FPS more vibrant and financially viable. The aim is to turn ration shops into modern outlets, so that dealers can start functioning as common service centres (CSCs). Already 60,000 dealers have become CSCs and they could also be banking correspondents, according to the food ministry.
To this end, the Union Government had written to the states to allow ration shop dealers to keep non-PDS items such as fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). Many states have already started the makeover.
FMCG are usually packaged goods, which are sold quickly at relatively lower prices. Such products include goods like packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, candies, cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs, dry goods, among other consumables.
While the diversity in goods will attract consumers and help dealers earn, computerisation of ration shops will help in better management.
TPDS computerisation
It will also help in the Government’s ambitious initiative of “One Nation One Ration Card”. It has its genesis in the vision that the computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) must be taken to the next level in ensuring food security in the country. This technology-driven system of portability is implemented in all 36 states and Union Territories.
The system is built upon computerised TPDS operations, including installation of electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at FPS and seeding of beneficiaries’ Aadhaar numbers with their ration cards.
Its introduction addresses the difficulties of migrants and enables the portability of ration cards. The concept is based on a technologydriven system for intra-state and inter-state portability of ration card.
It will ensure that the same ration card can be used by an individual or a family moving to a different area for economic (like job or business) or social (like marriage) purposes.
Meanwhile, to reduce transport cost and save in food subsidy, the government has engaged IIT Delhi and World Food Programme for optimisation of routes to ration shops.
