E-POS machines to weed out bogus ration card-holders in AP

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today approved the civil supply department's proposal to install e-POS (point of sale) machines at fair price shops within two months, which can help to weed out bogus ration cards.
Naidu held a meeting with the minister for civil supplies Paritala Sunitha, commissioner for civil supplies Sanjay Jaju and other officials, where he sanctioned Rs 100 crore for 27,176 e-POS machines, official sources said.
Naidu also asked the department to consider providing iodised salt free under the PDS. Providing it free will increase its consumption, while costing the government Rs 20 crore a year, he said.

Naidu also asked them to examine the possibility of providing 35 kg of rice free to 10 lakh beneficiaries of Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
On the procurement of paddy, the Chief Minister was informed that 7.46 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have been lying in mill godowns of East Godavari district.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to permit millers to sell off the existing stocks, so that they could take in the new stocks in the the current procurement season.
The CM also asked the officials to give a Dasara incentive to Hamalis, and increase the lifting charges per quintal from Rs eight to Rs 12.