State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Saryu Roy has said Public distribution system (PDS) outlets will be linked to biometric system by the end of this fiscal (March). He went on to inform that the tender process for installation of biometric system has already begun by the State Government and would be finalised before the end of this month.
“We will have to install biometric systems at shops across 24 districts. If all things go as per plans we will launch it throughout the State before the end of this fiscal in March-April,” said Saryu while addressing a press conference at Circuit House in city this evening. He went on to inform that the technology would soon be implemented to keep complete track of the movement of the food grain sacks in the PDS.
“It is very effective and efficient in keeping count of each and every sack of food grain that is on the move and this instrument will be pressed into service in the PDS soon,” said Roy. “Apart from acting as a check on irregularities, the biometric system is also designed to ensure recording of transactions in fair price shops in real-time and make them readily available for monitoring against hoarding,” the minister added.
The minister also informed that that last date for purchase of ration card forms has now been extended till Jan 31. “Moreover to avoid harassment beneficiaries should purchase ration cards only from district collectorate or from block development officer or panchayat bhawan and not from any PDS dealer. People are free to lodge complaint with the dept against such dealers,” the minister said.