e-PoS machines: Network issue to be addressed

Responding to the complaints raised by ration dealers over the faulty operation of electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) machines as a result of weak internet connectivity, the Civil Supplies Department is planning to set up external antennas at around 70 locations in the district to ensure uninterrupted operations.

District Supply Officer K. Manoj Kumar says the majority of the e-PoS machines, which were not functioning properly as a result of weak net connectivity, are now in the rural areas of Kozhikode and the issue will be addressed within five days. The company entrusted with the State-level supply of the machines has agreed to install the required number of antennas in all the already identified 70 locations, he adds.

The poor communication signal is mainly troubling the ration dealers in the rural areas of Kuttiyadi, Nadapuram and Thamarassery, where the mobile signal too is very weak. Complaints from all the four taluks have reached the Civil Supplies Department. Taluk supply officials also make it clear that there are no other major technical issues to be rectified other than the signal variations.

In Kozhikode district, 971 ration shops have the modern e-PoS machines to streamline the conventional supply system. Though the faulty operation of the machines has delayed the distribution of ration goods in some of the rural areas, officials say the issues can be addressed within a short time. Since the concept of electronic point of sales is new to ration shops, it will take some time for ration dealers to be familiarised with it, they add.

Doorstep delivery

Meanwhile, a section of the ration dealers in the city allege that the promise made by the government with regard to the doorstep delivery of ration articles to retail dealers has not been kept. All the shop owners have stopped the practice of collecting the stock directly from intermediary suppliers, they claim.

“The Chief Minister, during the previous discussions held with ration dealers, had agreed to implement the doorstep delivery of ration articles under the new Food Security Act. Even after several months, it has not come to fruition in any district,” says T. Mohammed Ali, convener of the Kozhikode District Ration Dealers Coordination committee. He also claims that the lack of doorstep delivery causes huge financial loss to the traders in the sector.