Govt to provide facility of biometric authentication in FPSs

Soon ration card holders of New Delhi and Rohini would be free to buy their ration from any Fair Price Shops in these circles with the Delhi government working on the FPS portability project.
The Food and Consumer Affairs department has decided to automatize the operations of all the Fair Price Shops (FPS) and put in place the facility of biometric authentication of beneficiaries before disbursing ration.
"The Department has decided to take up a project for automating the operations of all the FPS. This will bring transparency in their functioning and enable us to put the information about sale of ration to beneficiaries in public domain.

"There will be facility of biometric authentication of beneficiaries before disbursing ration. This will effectively curb any attempt of diversion of foodgrains by the FPS licensee," said S S Yadav, secretary-cum-commissioner of the food and supplies department of Delhi Government.
A pilot project will be taken up within a month wherein 50 FPS will be provided Tablet PCs with biometric authentication facility and printers.
"These FPS will be in circle 40 (New Delhi) and circle 13 (Rohini). Once the facility of biometric authentication will be set up in all the 50 FPS, people of these areas would be free to buy their ration from any FPS in these circles," said Yadav.

Funds for the project will be provided by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Project report has been submitted to UIDAI and is likely to be approved soon, Yadav said.
Implementation of the project will be through CSE e-gov Services India Ltd. CSE eGov Service Ltd will facilitate provision of banking, insurance, ticketing, bill collection and other services through FPS which will improve their viability.
Incentive based financial model will be used in this project wherein FPS licensees will be given monitory incentive for per kg ration sold through online system.