Palampur: PDS server develops snag, distribution halts

Palampur, January 18

The distribution of subsidised essential commodities through fair price shops run by the state government has come to a halt following failure of the electronic server of Himachal Pradesh Food and Supply Department.

Hundreds of consumers visiting state-run fair price shops have to go back disappointed daily as salesmen are unable to generate the sales bills of goods like rice, floor, pulses and mustard oils, etc. No effort has been made by the state government to rectify the snag developed in its server leading to inconvenience to the consumers in the past four days.

This is not the first instance when server has stopped functioning. Earlier too, consumer faced such situations.

There are over 6,000 fair price shops in the state where subsidised food grains are distributed to the consumers. Out of this, 3,282 are run by cooperative societies in rural areas. In these fair price shops rice and wheat flour are given at Rs 10 per kg each. Other items like mustard oil and pulses are provided at much cheaper rates than in market. There are 19, 62,645 ration card holders in Himachal who avail the benefits of these shops.

A senior officer of the state government, when asked, said the responsibility of licensing of fair price shops, their monitoring and operations rested with the state. He said there was technical snag which was being rectified. He regretted the inconvenience being caused to the consumers.

The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) provides for distribution of only food grains (rice, wheat and coarse grains) at highly subsidised prices through the Public Distribution System.