Delivery of foodgrains from ration stores: Food dept plans Aadhaar authentication through retina scanning

MP | 27 Feb 2023 | Kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department will soon start Aadhaar authentication through retina scanning of the beneficiaries for delivery of foodgrains from ration shops across the state. The department is planning to roll out retina scanning system from the month of April itself. 

“We will start piloting in five fair price shops in each district from March. If things go as per plan, then we may roll it out in April. The retina scanning for Aadhaar authentication will be an alternative to the existing system of using fingerprints for verification,” a senior official of the department said. 

There have been instances when the fingerprint verification does not work and result in delays in delivery to the beneficiaries. The retina scanning system will be an alternative and will surely benefit customers helping in quick delivery. “

We will not have to bear any extra expenditure for installing this facility. We had signed a contract with the service provider that has been responsible for putting up the e-pos system in place and will set up infrastructure of the retina scanning as an additional part of the existing e-pos mechanism,” state Food and Supplies minister Rathin Ghosh said. 

The e-pos machine transactions have eliminated chances of unfair practises associated with the rationing system and has brought in transparency in the distribution process. The move has ensured that genuine beneficiaries get their allocated share of foodgrains. 

Biswambhar Basu, the general secretary of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation, said the fair price shops often face problems with fingerprint matching for Aadhaar authentication. However, he claimed that the dealers need some sort of training in handling such retina scanning machines. 

“When they get accustomed to using such machines, then it can be introduced,” Basu said. There are around 21,000 odd ration shops across the state. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/delivery-of-foodgrains-from-ration-stores-food-dept-plans-aadhaar-authentication-through-retina-scanning-510076