The district administration has introduced WhatsApp facility, a cross-platform mobile messaging application, through which consumers can alert civil supply authorities if they come across malpractices in fair price shops.
Collector M. Ravikumar said here on Saturday that consumers could use 94450 00370 to share information such as fair price shops remaining closed during working hours, underweight of commodities, outsiders posing as staff, lethargic attitude of sales staff who might send back consumers citing no stock when there was enough in stock for distribution.
He said that nowadays people had become well-versed in using technological tolls such as WhatsApp. They could use WhatsApp to send messages, photos, audios and videos through their smart phones to the authorities for speedy action against erring staff.
District Supply Officer R. Sezhiyan said that the WhatsApp number was his official contact number and consumers could share information any time.
By using this mobile messaging platform, smuggling of public distribution system (PDS) commodities could be checked.
Previously, complaints were received through calls. If the officials got alerts through WhatsApp, they could serve as evidence to support the complaint.
As many as 941 fair price shops were functioning in the district from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Except for lunch hour from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., these shops would be open.
Only on first and second Fridays and third and fourth Sundays, these shops would remain closed, Mr. Sezhiyan said.
