Visakhapatnam: No scope of missing ration supplies from now

Visakhapatnam : Senior citizens who have been finding it difficult to bring home ration supplies provided under the Public Distribution System (PDS) by getting their thumb impression can now heave a sigh of relief as Mobile Dispensing Units (MDU) will now have iris recognition devices.

Apart from senior citizens, a section of people, including construction workers, experience problems with thumb impression at the units.

So far, the ration cardholders used to get supplies from the MDUs by registering their attendance through thumb impression. Approximately, 15 to 20 persons in every MDU miss their quota of ration due to lack of thumb impression.

Those who were experiencing such issues could be addressed through volunteers' authentication. But lack of availability of volunteers during the arrival of MDUs is another problem the beneficiaries used to complain about.

However, with the introduction of iris recognition devices, such problems will now be curbed. "Even after trying for repeated times, some of the ration cardholders face problems with the thumb impression. As they belong to weaker sections, the launch of the iris-based scanners which will help them in getting their supplies without any hindrance," says G Surya Prakash, District Civil Supplies Officer Visakhapatnam.

In Visakhapatnam district, 311 MDUs are available to meet the ration distribution needs. Circle-2 in Seethammadhara has the highest number of MDUs counting 41. While circle-1 in Gopalapatnam consists of 38 vehicles, circle-3 in Gajuwaka comprises 37 units.

With District Joint Collector KS Viswanathan handing over the iris recognition devices to the MDU operators, beneficiaries who were deprived of accessing ration supplies need not worry any longer.