Buying ration not easy for the elderly in this Nalgonda village of Telangana

NALGONDA: The state government’s plan to implement bio-metric system in ration shops to avoid irregularities is causing problems at certain places —especially in areas without mobile network and connectivity.  Take the case of the fair price shop in Jaikesaram village of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district for instance.

Though the practice is to take the biometrics at the store where the commodities are supplied, due to low signal strength, the machines are placed on the terrace of the local gram panchayat building. The ration shop dealer has arranged a person to sit on the terrace and take the thumb impressions of card holders. The move has become a hassle for the elderly in the village which has 800 ration card holders.

They have to climb all the way to the terrace of gram panchayat building, provide their thumb impression, get a slip from there and go again to the ration shop, about 100 metres away, and buy their provisions. “Due to my advanced age, I am unable to climb to the terrace of building,” says 75-year-old V Narsamma.

“Previously, they used to give my ration through relatives or neighbours, but now due to the biometric system I have to go myself. I have no choice but to suffer through my knee and joint pain and climb all the way,”  The least that authorities can do, Narsamma says, is solve the issue.