TN launches app to ease inspection in ration shops

CHENNAI: State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R Chakkarapani on Thursday launched an app for officials of the Civil Supplies department to ease the process of inspection and to update the information about inspection to higher officials.

The app named "TN FPS (Fair Price Shops) Inspection" is available in both android and iOS devices. Officials have to answer simple questions in the app such as the stock details, the facilities available in the ration shops and the people visiting the shops. The officials who are inspecting the ration shops after completing their inspection need not ask for the records available with the ration shop workers on the stocks, but can see and update them in the app.

The data from the app will be helpful for the higher officials and the essential food supplies that are not present in the ration shops will be sent to the particular shop immediately.

"The app was launched with the purpose of reducing the inspection time for officials. Every time the officials inspect the shops and check the records and stocks people had to wait. The app will reduce the waiting time for the people,” said the Minister.

He also said that though inspections are carried out by the officials starting from the rank of district Collector to the supply officers, the department has started to give fixed targets for every official to inspect the PDS shop and to update the information on the app. According to the new order, a Collector has to inspect a minimum of 10 shops per month and the maximum number of inspections is for Joint Registrar (PDS) and Taluk Supply Officers (SO) is to inspect 50 ration shops in a month.

When asked about the announcement of introducing millets in ration shops, the Minister replied that the scheme will be introduced on a pilot basis in Dharmapuri and The Nilgiris district in January and the State government is all set to procure Ragi (finger millet) from Karnataka.