Thaindian News

Bhubaneswar, Aug 18 (IANS) In a bid to bring transparency in the public distribution system (PDS), biometric ration cards were launched in Orissa Wednesday, an official said.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the cards as part of the state’s pilot project at the district head quarters of Rayagada,” the official told IANS.

Designed jointly by the state government and the World Food Programme (WFP), the hi-tech biometric registration system aims to ensure that subsidised food goes only to those entitled to it.

“We are very proud of our partnership with the Orissa government in our effort to enhance the efficiency of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS),” WFP India Representative Mihoko Tamamura said.

The new system uses fingerprint and iris biometrics to register individuals. Around one million beneficiaries across the district have been electronically recorded.

These records have been used to prepare ration cards and bar-coded coupons for people living in rural areas and smart cards for those living in poor urban pockets of the district.

“This biometric technology has not only helped in identifying and removing duplicate registration of beneficiaries, but has also rooted out invalid cards which were in circulation and were putting significant strain on the TPDS,” she said.

The transaction between the beneficiary and the Fair Price Shop owner will be made available on the government website, which will further enhance transparency in distribution of PDS items like rice, wheat, kerosene and others.

Based on the results of this project, the state government has envisaged that similar initiatives may be taken up in the remaining 29 districts next year.

WFP, food aid branch of the United Nations, is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on an average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.