All urban FPSs to get ePoS machines this year: Food Minister

Jammu/ April, 17: By June end this year all fair Price Shops (FPS) of food, civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) in the urban areas would be equipped with electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) machines assured Jammu and Kashmir Bank to Minister for (FCS&CA) Choudhary Zulfkar Ali Thursday.
The assurance came through during the Minister’s meeting with the concerned officials from Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
“As a bank we are also committed for the welfare of the State. So we assure you that by the end of June this year we will install ePoS machines in all the departmental FPS falling in urban areas in the first phase,” President, Technology and Assembly, J&K Bank Reshi Baru assured the meeting.
The meeting informed that FPS falling in rural areas would be taken in the second phase, work for which would be started immediately after the completion of the first phase.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister said FCS&CA wants to create a transparent system. “The department is striving hard to go for digitalization of entire process and making our 7,000 FP Shops across the State “Cashless” through installation of e PoS is a step in the direction,” he added.
The Minister stressed for completing the work in a time bound manner. He said expedition of ePoS installation would greatly help in making all FCS&CA more transparent.
He added the department has sought the services of J&K bank because it is the official bank of the State and should be prioritized over other banks while assigning the official work.
The Minister said onus lies on the bank to complete the work in time bound manner so that the desired results are achieved at an earliest.
The bank officials assured that the machines would be installed at bare minimum rates as per the Reserve Bank of India’s regulations.
Director FCS&CA Kashmir was made the nodal officer for the project, while for the bank Vice President Technology J&K Bank, J&K Sushil Gupta would be the coordinator.
The Minister also sought update about the printing of ration cards done by FCS&CA in partnership with J&K bank. He urged to expedite the printing work.
Discussing revolving account of FCS&CA, Zulfkar Ali said this is the first time that the department has a new kind of system. He asked the bank officials to work in coordination with his officials to develop a transparent system for maintaining the revolving fund account.
Secretary, FCS&CA Shafiq Raina, Special Secretary FCS&CA, Nissar Wani, Chief Security Information Officer, J&K Khursheed Manzoor.