PDS dealers, however, have been blaming it on “technical issues” with the e-pos system. (Representational Image)
Mukhiyas of six panchayats in Danapur Diara have been getting a number of complaints these days about PDS dealers not giving villagers either monthly ration or free five kg ration which is being distributed as Covid relief.
PDS dealers, however, have been blaming it on “technical issues” with the e-pos system. The most common problem is that of a lack of authentication of ration card numbers. Even though dealers have received monthly stock of wheat, rice and kerosene oil on the basis of the number of ration cards and cumulative units (family members), dealers are saying they have been bearing the brunt of public anger because of technical issues.
Danapur Diara, having six panchayats, has a population of 80,000 people. About 25-30 per cent genuine card holders have not been able to get any ration. There are about 30 dealers in six panchayats of Danapur Diara.
Dinesh Rai, Qasimchak panchayat mukhiya, said: “People have nothing to do with technical problems. It is a sheer apathy on part of the state government. Local officers like block development officers and sub-divisional officers are not reacting. They should spare a thought about daily wagers who have no jobs because of the Corona crisis. It is public representatives like us at base level who have to deal with public resentment.”
Elaborating on the technical issue with the e-pos system, Chandradev Rai, a dealer in Qasimchak panchayat, said, “There are three types of problems. When we enter a card number, it says “it does not exist”. Second, the system says UID does not match. The third problem is not technical but because of public ignorance. There are cases in which the card holders are stuck up outside. We need their fingerprints to match with our record to release grains but people are not willing to listen to us”.
Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, however, told The Indian Express: “We have taken serious note of it and taken up the matter with local SDO”.