Delhi Govt cracks down on fair-price shops through Facebook

The Delhi government has started a public page on Facebook to help consumers report malpractice in fair-price shops, boasting yet another pro-digital move. The page lets people post their grievances and report malpractices by providing proof in the form of photos. The Hindu has reported that the Facebook page,which goes by the slogan ‘Aapka Rashan, Aapka Haq’ (your ration, your entitlement), has helped the government book over a dozen fair price shops within the last one month. The page is said to be a hit among locals, receiving over 4,000 queries 3,685 likes and reaching over 50,000 users in its one month existence. The page also helps the Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs department to connect directly with consumers and take action against shop owners. “One of the biggest complaints against the ration shops is that they are closed. People can now post pictures if a particular FPS is closed during business hours. Other anomalies like lack of a proper display board, or any issue related to cleanliness could also be posted on the profile. Action would be taken accordingly,” said a senior Delhi Government official to The Hindu. With smartphones being accessible to a vast majority of the urban population in India, social media platforms are slowly gaining traction as a useful tool to spread awareness and bridge the gap between government officials and the consumers. The Delhi Govt has previously taken similar initiatives such as creating Whatsapp helpline numbers for countering corruption and traffic woes . The Department of Food, Supplies & Consumer Affairs has also issued a WhatsApp number 8800950480 to help consumers send complaints regarding ration cards.