Chennai: The public distribution system in Tamil Nadu (TNPDS), despite several promises in the past to resolve glitches in PDS smart cards, has shown no improvement and various aspects including the tedious procedure for making minor changes in the card, early closure of E-seva centers and online procedures still remain unaddressed.
Many E-seva centres where smart cards can be applied for, are turning away people or directing them towards online applications. Officials say this is being done to address complaints of bribes that many beneficiaries made in the past. “We receive at least one complaint a week saying they were asked for more that Rs 60 for smart cards. The online move will increase transparency,” said an official from the civil supplies department.
However, beneficiaries rue that a few employees at E-seva centers ask them to go to browsing centers that charge them Rs 300. Activist V.Gopalakrishnan said, “There are numerous technical glitches in the online portal. The documents required to apply for a PDS smart card including the Aadhaar card, gas bill and other credentials must be uploaded in a specific format. While documents should be in a 100 kb file, pictures should be 10 kb. This information is neither available at the E-seva centres nor on the website.” Consumers are often confused as to which civil supplies corporation office they have to visit for applying for the card or for making changes.
Each beneficiary of the state's PDS has at least four to five cards under their names, mostly without their knowledge, ration shop owners say. There is no cap on the number of PDS smart cards a person can have. Ration shop owners say that at least 150 cards are sold in three months. “There have been numerous times when people come to us asking for cards and a few of them get a couple of copies printed. Though it is apparent that the owner is fake, business is what matters to us at the end of the day,” said a ration shop owner at Nanganallur.
