Telangana Civil Supplies Dept to launch digital initiatives

To improve functional efficiency, the Civil Supplies Department is all set to introduce ePOS and biometric AePS in 17,500 fair price shops across Telangana besides launching other digital initiatives.
Softwares like OPMS (Online Procurement Management System), SCM (Supply Chain Management), FMS (Financial Management System) to make payment online, are being developed to move towards 100 per cent cashless transactions, Telangana Commissioner of Civil Supplies C V Anand told reporters here.
"ePOS point of sale machines linked with Iris Scanner, weighing scale with voice over, and biometric Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) would be adopted in all 17,500 fair price shops in a phased manner from next month onwards," he said.

"The tender for this, which was to be finalised last month was postponed to accommodate the additional requirements due to demonetisation and cashless transactions and the need to take up all AePS payments/Micro ATM facilities so as to provide banking facilities to the rural poor. We expect it to be completed by January 26," Anand said.
Introduction of this system in fair price shops will save Rs 800 crore per annum, he pointed out. Payments will be made to farmers directly through OPMS, he said.
The official said GPS system would monitor all civil supplies related movements by over 1150 vehicles and ensure control over diversion of PDS rice.

To plug leakages of essential commodities earmarked for PDS and eliminate menance of middlemen, CCTVs would also be installed in all the 171 Mandal Level Stock (MLS) and will be monitored in Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Joint Collectors offices, said the Commissioner, adding plans are afoot to start Social Media Centre and Control Room.
With an annual turnover of Rs 10,000 crore the Civil Supplies Corporation is in poor financial management with no qualified staff, accountants, auditors and hence going forward a finance wing is being created with a financial advisor, hiring of a chartered accountant agency for completing the audit of account spending from 2011, he said.

The department will also have enforcement wing task force with 5 teams, each headed by a retired SP rank officer and each comprising of one Tahsildar, and other officials.