Soon, fingerprint validation for ration

PANAJI: The distribution of rice and wheat to ration card beneficiaries at fair price shops in Goa will soon be carried out through the e-Point of sale (e-PoS) device. From the first week of November, people will be able to buy ration only using their own ration cards.

E-PoS uses fingerprint authentication to establish the identity of beneficiaries, thus ensuring transparency and eliminating corruption from the public distribution system.


“This is a beneficiary-oriented initiative and will curb all unfair means of claiming food grains. The state government took up installation of e-PoS devices at fair price shops in a bid to authenticate ration card beneficiaries and for electronic recording of subsidised food grain distribution among them,” civil supplies director, Sandhya Kamat, said.

Dealers at fair price shops, will no longer be required to make manual entries of food grain distribution in registers and in ration cards of beneficiaries.

A total of 41 fair price shops in Goa have already completed the two-month trial period of this technology that was introduced to them in August. The device faced problems with connectivity initially, an issue which was later resolved, civil supplies officials said.

Kamat said almost all ration cards in Goa have been digitised, making implementation convenient. “We have sent the file to the cabinet and are waiting for government approval following which we intend to implement this system across Goa by the first week November,” she said.

At present, there are over 339348 ration card holders and approximately 450 licensed fair price shops in Goa. Only rice and wheat can be availed through the system, for now.

TIMES VIEW: There are positive reports from all states that have implemented the e-PoS system. It has curtailed the scope of manipulation of purchase records and diversion of items from the public distribution system to the open market. This has individually saved the states lakhs of rupees. The system should be introduced at all fair price shops in the state instead of only a select few, at the earliest.