Jharkhand: Poor network connectivity compels PDS beneficiaries to wait for hours

Beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS) of Koldongri village in Ranchi are compelled to wait for hours as network issues persist. Women beneficiaries said they leave behind their farm work to come to the ration shops where they have to wait for long hours.

Ranchi: The online Public Distribution System (PDS) in Jharkhand has become a headache for people living in far-flung areas where network issues persist. People of Koldongri, situated 20 km from Ranchi, are facing difficulties in collecting the ration under PDS as network issue has made it an uphill task for them.

An online process was introduced in the state whereby the beneficiaries have to put their thumb impression on the machine kept at the ration shop to get the foodgrains under the scheme.

But, the machine operates on a network, and clear weather is a must for the machine to remain connected. If the weather is bad ration is denied to the people.

People have complained that due to poor network issues they have to wait for hours to get the network at the ration shop. At times, people are also forced to carry heavy weights to put on the weighing machine attached to the POS to ensure that it is fully loaded to generate a payslip.

The thumb impression is not made, the ration cannot be given. The online system prevents ration distribution without the thumb impression of the beneficiary.

Women said they had to leave behind their farm work to come to the ration shops as they have to wait for long hours.

Beneficiary Aarti Kujur told ETV Bharat, "We face a lot of difficulties while getting ration. The network does not come for hours and we have to wait for the entire day to get the network."

Another local said that the villagers have to carry the weight machine in the areas having a good network. We also have to ensure that the weighing machine is properly loaded to get a payslip."

People have complained that it takes 10 days for them to collect the ration due to the token system.

Block Development Officer of Kanke said, "Our priority is to ensure that beneficiaries get ration. We have informed the concerned officials about the network but till now we have not received a response."

In Jharkhand, over 55 lakh families are registered under PDS and every person having a ration card can get 35 kilos of ration.

Villagers have to make rounds for getting food grains from the PDS shops. They can be seen roaming along the roads with the machine and antenna, in search of the network. Many times their efforts fail following which the ration is denied.

An angry villager said the manual system was better as there is no improvement in the online system and their children are suffering.