By Express News Service
Published: 15th June 2016 04:38 AM
BENGALURU: The state will soon make biometric coupons mandatory for supply of food grains and other commodities under the Public Distribution System (PDS), said food and civil supplies minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday.
At present, only kerosene is distributed under the biometric coupon-based system, which is linked to a consumer’s Aadhaar card. The government’s move to bring food grains and other commodities under the coupon-based system is expected to reduce PDS goods being sold on the black market. Experts say the government’s decision to weed out bogus ration cards by linking Aadhaar numbers will save crores and will ensure that benefits reach the consumer.
Meanwhile, Union food and consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who visited Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown in Yeshwanthpur, a fair price shop, and a BangaloreOne office in Malleswaram, said the Centre will soon integrate FCI’s and Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd’s online tracking system to reduce pilferage of PDS commodities. “The integration of these two tracking systems will prevent pilferage from godowns and fair price shops in an effective way,” said Paswan.
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