Government aims to computerise the PDS sector to help check pilferages and plug leakages by installing electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at all fair price shops across the country by March 2019 (rpt 2019). Government has also started a pilot project linking the PDS with Aadhar card under Direct Benefit Transfer scheme in Puducherry, Chandigarh and in urban areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and, depending upon its success, it will be extended across the country to help remove corruption in PDS, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told the Rajya Sabha.

There are a total of 5.35 lakh Fair Price shops across the country and government has installed 91,000 electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices till March 2016. Government intends to achieve a target of installing three lakh such devices to computerise fair price shops by March 2017. The aim is to fully computerise all 5.35 lakh fair price shops by March 2019 by installing such ePoS devices.

Asked about the cost of such e-PoS, the Minister said it costs around Rs 20,000 and there are different provisions to install them as states can also do so by buying such devices.