Bumps in Gujarat's PDS highway

System in place for Aadhaar-linked payment through state but shopkeepers and consumers yet to cheer

When young housewife Sarojben Rabari comes to buy rice from the Public Distribution System (PDS) shop in Ramnagar, on the northern fringes here, the shopkeeper asks her to pay by using her Aadhaar card. The woman refuses – she has neither an Aadhaar card or a bank account. She wishes to pay in cash; after all, it’s a paltry Rs 20.

The shop was anything but crowded, being the end of the month. As such, the average transaction size at these shops are in the range of Rs 60-100. Hence, the preference for cash. 

The situation is similar in most PDS outlets