ES Reporter

 

ITANAGAR, Oct 9: The Arunachal Pradesh Fair Price Shop Dealers Welfare Association (APFPSDWA) while opposing the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme of the central government has termed it “impossible to implement” in Arunachal Pradesh.

Addressing media persons here at the Press Club today, President, APFPSDWA Bengia Vijay said, “Arunachal is a vast state with a hilly terrain and we all know that in most of the remote districts we don’t have proper roads and internet facilities. Moreover, under the ONORC scheme all the works are related to digitalization that need a robust internet network along with steady electricity supply and proper road communication.”

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Secretary today, the association has sought a review of the central scheme and operationalization status of the e-POS machines deployed in the state. The association also raised the point that as the FPS dealers are provided with specific quantities of food grain, if everyone from other parts of the country starts availing the benefit, what will be left with them to provide to the beneficiaries of the state. “There are many conditions in the scheme which is creating difficulties for us. It will be feasible in Arunachal only if the state government provides Rs. 30,000 as honorarium/salary to the FPS dealers. We have been working tirelessly in public interest despite facing various problems,” the APFPSDWA President said.   

General Secretary, APFPSDWA Tarh Miri said that due to poor roads and unstable network connectivity, implementation of ONORC and usage of e-POS (Point of Service) device machines deployed at Fair Price Shops (FPSs) in the state under the National Food Security Act is impossible. He also said that most of the process of Aadhar seeding is not completed in various remote districts to make the e-POS machines operational, adding that road communication and telecom network services are very poor in most of the districts which are necessary for smooth implementation of the scheme. “The e-POS machine installation is being executed by Jio and it can be assumed by anyone that internet services of the company are not available in most of the state’s districts,” he said, also stating that most of the FPS owners are unaccustomed with the working methodology of the new technology.

“The FPS owners during the training programme on e-POS machine installation had raised concern over its on-ground applicability. We also requested the state government to release the margin commission of the FPS dealers as per guidelines of the NFSA. It is very unfortunate that our FPS dealers are not given a single percentage of margin for their distribution efforts,” Miri said.

Under the ONORC scheme, eligible beneficiaries will be able to avail their entitled food grain quota under the NFSA from any FPS in the country using the same ration card.