Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is set to introduce stricter digital monitoring in ration shops by making electronic weighing machines mandatory and linking them to e-PoS devices. This move is aimed at preventing under-weighing (weight fraud) and ensuring beneficiaries receive their full ration right.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department plans to integrate electronic weighing systems with the existing ration distribution network, allowing the quantity of food grains issued to each beneficiary to be digitally recorded and verified. Officials said ration shops will also be upgraded to display beneficiary details, including photographs, through the distribution software.

The initiative comes amid concerns over quantity discrepancies, non-remittance of the full value of distributed food grains and instances of hoarding and black-market diversion reported in parts of the system. Authorities believe the proposed digital integration will strengthen oversight and improve transparency in ration distribution.

The Centre has, for years, encouraged states to link electronic weighing equipment with e-PoS systems to improve accountability in ration distribution. Although efforts were initiated during the previous LDF government to introduce such a mechanism, the project did not move forward at the time.

Officials say the new e-monitoring framework will help provide real-time verification of ration transactions, reduce opportunities for malpractice and ensure food grains reach eligible beneficiaries in the correct quantity.