In first of its kind, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) and Tribal Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today launched Point of Sale (PoS) machines at two sale centres at Humana, Budgam and Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar.Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said ‘transparency’ is the benchmark of the present Government. He said that the Government is spending crores on subsidies with an aim that it reaches deserving people. Installing PoS machines at sale centres is a step in the same direction, he said.Giving details about the project, the Minister said installation of PoS machines is one of the important componets of Government’s initiative of digitizing the entire FCS&CA department through electronic Public Distribution (ePDS).The Minister informed that all the PoS machines will be aadhar enabled with an inbuilt speaker. With a touch of a finger the machine will reveal the amount of ration a consumer is entitled, the Minister informed. He further said PoS machine will also calculate the amount the consumers are required to pay for their ration.
Zulfkar Ali said that all the transactions on PoS machines are linked with Union Government’s distribution system portal “Annavitran” which in itself increases transparency in the distribution process.The Minister assured that during the next three months these PoS machines would be installed in all the sale centres across the Valley.The Minister also installed the electronic weighing machine at sale centre in Humhama. He said the weighing machines which are duly calibrated by Legal Metrology Department would soon replace the primitive form of weighing scales in all the sale centres in the state. The aim is to ensure that consumers receive the exact quality of ration they are entitled to. The Minister informed that it would greatly help in stopping any kind of pilferage in the distribution of ration. Commissioner Secretary M D Khan, Director FCS&CA Nisar Ahmad Wani, Joint Controller Kashmir LMD Amar Singh and other officials accompanied the Minister.