Question : E-PoS Machines

(a) the details of the Electronic Point of Sale (E-PoS) machines installed by the Ministry in Uttar Pradesh and other States;

(b) whether the Government has any information about the functioning and usage of these machines;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) if not, th(a) the details of the Electronic Point of Sale (E-PoS) machines installed by the Ministry in Uttar Pradesh and other States;

(b) whether the Government has any information about the functioning and usage of these machines;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) if not, the reasons therefor;

(e) whether there are any alternative measures in place in case the machines are not working properly to distribute the PDS benefits timely; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?
e reasons therefor;

(e) whether there are any alternative measures in place in case the machines are not working properly to distribute the PDS benefits timely; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a) to (f): The Department in association with all States/UTs is implementing a scheme on ‘End-to-End Computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Operations’ including automation of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) to bring transparency and efficiency in the allocation and distribution of highly subsidised foodgrains to beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). So far, nearly 88% FPSs in the country have been automated by installing ePoS devices at FPSs. A statement showing status of Uttar Pradesh including other States/UTs is annexed.
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For monitoring the ePoS operations and distribution of foodgrains in States/UTs, the Department has developed central Annavitran portal (https://annavitran.nic.in). Details on this portal are available in public domain.

Further, this Department vide letters dated 24/10/2017 and 08/11/2018 has advised all States/UTs that genuine beneficiaries/households shall not be denied from their entitled foodgrains under NFSA only on the ground of not possessing an Aadhaar number, or due to any technical failure of ePoS device including failure of biometric/Aadhaar authentication of beneficiary owing to network/connectivity/linking issues.
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Annexure
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.333 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 04.02.2020 IN THE LOK SABHA.
Status of End-to-End Computerization of PDS Operations Scheme as on 14.01.2020
Sl. States/UTs Fair Price Shop (FPS) Automation
Total FPS Operational ePoS FPS Automation
(%)
1 Andaman & Nicobar 479 459 96%
2 Andhra Pradesh 28,936 28,936 100%
3 Arunachal Pradesh 1,943 25 1%
4 Assam 38,237 - 0%
5 Bihar 46,800 42,600 91%
6 Chandigarh (DBT) NA NA NA
7 Chhattisgarh 12,304 11,990 97%
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 63 63 100%
9 Daman & Diu 51 51 100%
10 Delhi 2,254 - 0%
11 Goa 456 456 100%
12 Gujarat 17,210 17,210 100%
13 Haryana 9,526 9,526 100%
14 Himachal Pradesh 4,934 4,934 100%
15 Jammu & Kashmir
(incl. Ladakh) 6,411 6,411 100%
16 Jharkhand 25,532 25,532 100%
17 Karnataka 19,935 19,759 99%
18 Kerala 14,374 14,335 100%
19 Lakshadweep 39 39 100%
20 Madhya Pradesh 24,732 24,619 100%
21 Maharashtra 52,532 52,532 100%
22 Manipur 2,682 104 4%
23 Meghalaya 4,736 10 0%
24 Mizoram 1,252 - 0%
25 Nagaland 1,691 153 9%
26 Odisha 12,577 12,577 100%
27 Puducherry (DBT) NA NA NA
28 Punjab 17,525 17,525 100%
29 Rajasthan 25,682 25,579 100%
30 Sikkim 1,362 1,352 99%
31 Tamil Nadu 34,776 34,776 100%
32 Telangana 17,170 17,170 100%
33 Tripura 1,806 1,806 100%
34 Uttar Pradesh 80,493 80,493 100%
35 Uttarakhand 9,908 6,484 65%
36 West Bengal 20,806 19,241 92%
Summary 5,39,214 4,76,747 88 %
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