Temporary suspension of order to halt credit-based foodgrain supply to ration shops

Ration shop dealers in Kerala are facing disruptions in the supply of essential commodities due to malfunctioning EPOS machines, causing inconvenience to buyers. To alleviate some of their troubles, the state government has temporarily suspended the decision to stop supplying foodgrains to ration dealers on credit. This decision, initially issued in March, faced strong resistance from the dealer organizations. The suspension will remain in effect until May 25.

If the order had been implemented, it would have affected the supply of ration goods at various shops this month. The malfunctioning EPOS machines, caused by a server bug, have already hindered the supply of ration goods in recent months. Currently, the ration shop dealers receive foodgrains and other commodities on credit for a month, and the bill amount is deducted from their commission in the subsequent month. However, the March order aimed to change this practice, requiring upfront or same-day payment for the delivered foodgrains.

The Kerala State Retail Ration Dealers’ Association voiced their protest against this decision, highlighting that without credit-based foodgrain supply, stocking up on commodities would become impossible and they would incur losses if grains were bought on loans. The Civil Supplies Department officials argued that the foodgrains were not provided on full credit, as the cost was being recovered within the same month. However, realizing the potential disruption in the supply of ration commodities to the public, many Taluk Supply Officers (TSOs) acted as personal guarantors to ensure the foodgrains were supplied to the dealers. Consequently, the suspension of the order was implemented.

In addition to these challenges, the EPOS system in the state’s ration outlets has encountered technical issues once again. The entire system became inoperational on Tuesday evening, causing a halt in commodity supply until the outlets closed at 7 pm. Despite claims from the Civil Supplies Department that they had resolved all previous issues with the EPOS machines, this new snag has affected the system once more.