In a relief to thousands of ration card holders who were unable to receive their May quota due to technical glitches in newly introduced 5G e-POS machines, the Haryana Food and Civil Supplies Department has directed all fair price shops to distribute the pending ration to affected beneficiaries.
The move comes days after The Tribune highlighted the issue prominently in its June 6 edition, drawing attention to widespread disruptions in ration distribution across several parts of the state.
According to an official communication issued by the department, all depot holders have been instructed to ensure that beneficiaries who were left out due to server failures and technical problems receive their ration by June 15. Officials have also been directed to ensure that no eligible consumer is deprived of foodgrains.
The problem surfaced after the department replaced old e-POS devices with new 5G-enabled machines at more than 9,000 ration depots across Haryana. While the upgrade was aimed at improving efficiency, delays in the supply of machines and repeated server-related issues disrupted ration distribution in many areas.
A large number of beneficiaries could not collect their ration during May as the portal and authentication system frequently malfunctioned.
In Sirsa’s Odhan area alone, beneficiaries in 25 villages were affected. In Kalanwali, nearly 50 per cent of the beneficiaries linked to 82 ration depots reportedly remained deprived of their ration due to the technical glitches.Sheeshpal Godara, Haryana president of the All-India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation, said the beneficiaries should not suffer because of the lapses in the system.
“The fault was not with the consumers but with the department. The machines did not reach the depots on time and server problems continue. The June 15 deadline may not be sufficient because the new machines require multiple biometric authentications and the server is still unstable. The deadline should be extended to June 30,” he said. Sandeep Kumar, Assistant Food Supply Officer (AFSO), Kalanwali, said instructions from the headquarters had been received and all depot holders had been directed to distribute ration to the beneficiaries who missed their May quota. “The distribution has already started and the affected beneficiaries are being provided with their pending ration,” he said. The department has appealed to all eligible beneficiaries who could not collect their ration in May to contact their respective fair price depots and avail themselves of the facility before the deadline.
