Point system to select ration outlet licensees

Experienced salesmen, PGs will receive weightage

The Food and Civil Supplies department has evolved a point system for granting ration dealerships.

Experienced salesmen and postgraduates (PGs) are among those who will receive high weightage under the revised mechanism to identify licensees.

The guidelines that strictly adhere to the Kerala Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2021 make it mandatory to notify dealerships for the general category only after filling the reserved quotas. A total of 35% of ration outlets will be allotted to such categories. While 20% will be reserved for women licensees, Scheduled Castes (8%), Scheduled Tribes (2%) and differently abled (5%) will also come under the bracket.

While the prevailing norms have made it mandatory that the public distribution system (PDS) outlets should be operated only by those who have cleared SSLC or equivalent examination, the candidates will be further evaluated out of 50 marks on the basis of other credentials.

Marks

Undergraduates and those who have cleared three-year diploma courses will receive four marks, while postgraduates will be awarded two marks additionally. Those who possess 10 years’ experience as salespersons will gain 10 marks and each additional year thereafter will fetch them half-a-mark, subject to a maximum of 10 marks.

Women, people belonging to SC/ST categories, differently abled people, ex-servicemen, transgenders, women collectives, panchayat and cooperative groups, people hailing from the same ward, and those possessing a building to establish the ration outlet will receive five marks each. Those who are well-versed with the public distribution system and ration sales, and those proficient with the use of computers will be awarded two marks each.

The older one among the applicants will be granted the licence in the case of a tie in marks awarded in a particular area. Experience will determine the winner if age too could not separate the competitors.