Bihar to provide biometric cards to PDS beneficiaries

In order check irregularities, Bihar has decided to introduce biometric cards in the Public Distribution System, officials said on Monday.

Minister for Food and Consumer Protection Shyam Rajak said the government will introduce biometric cards in the PDS in a phased manner. "We have decided to provide biometric cards to all beneficiaries of PDS in next four years," he said.

Rajak said that it was a part of move to check corruption and provide total transparency in the PDS.

He said that his department was preparing a database of all ration cardholders. "We hope that the database would be completed by October this year," he said.

The government said it was also committed to introduce doorstep delivery of the PDS by the end of this year.

In reference to the government's decision to computerise PDS in the state to make the system transparent and check irregularities, Razak said that so far computerisation of 534 blocks under PDS was completed.