Clear doorstep delivery of ration, L-G told

New Delhi: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday claimed that the Delhi government has found “open theft” in delivery of ration in the city. In this regard, he demanded immediate suspension of the food and supplies commissioner. 

Mr Sisodia also urged lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal to immediately stop the current delivery system and approve a scheme for doorstep delivery of rations.

Exhorting the L-G to give a go-ahead on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s ambitious scheme for doorstep delivery of ration, he said that the existing e-PoS (Electronic Point of Sale), under which beneficiaries are given ration through biometric identification should be stopped.

Addressing a press conference in the capital on Friday, Mr Sisodia said preliminary enquiry into a sample of data indicates the provision of OTP has been “misused” and ration has been “siphoned off” during March on a number of cards that appear to be “fake”. 

The one time password (OTP) provision used to give ration in case the biometric identification of beneficiary fails under the e-POS system. 

In such cases, an OTP is sent on the mobile number of the beneficiary. Mr Sisodia said the OTP provision was introduced on March 1 to beat internet connectivity issues at ration shops.

“On one particular mobile number, 499 card-holders were given ration. Based on OTPs sent on 11 mobile numbers, ration of around 1,550 households were distributed. This indicates open theft of ration,” Mr Sisodia alleged.

The deputy chief minister also said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain have written to the L-G flagging this issue.