The beneficiaries of public distribution system (PDS) in Punjab would soon have a regular access to the exact quantity of foodgrain they are entitled to, as the state government is mulling to utilise the UID cards for the distribution of foodgrains. Talking to Business Standard, a senior official in Punjab said the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has appointed the Department of Food and Civil Supplies as the Registrar for UID Aadhaar in the state. The department has set an ambitious target of covering most of the population by September 2011 and aligning the PDS and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution through UID.
“A substantial number of complaints of anomalies of foodgrain are filed with the food and civil supplies department every year. In many cases the eligible beneficiaries do not get the foodgrains due to various leakages. But the identity recorded for UID (finger prints, iris scan and photograph of the individual) in the software would provide a foolproof system to check the illegitimate activities being carried out by the distributing functionaries,” he added.
About 840,000 tonnes wheat and 70,000 tonnes of rice are being distributed annually through PDS in Punjab.
The distribution of LPG cylinders is also proposed to be done through UID. There were approximately 550,300 LPG connections in Punjab as recorded in December 2010.
This would help the diversion of domestic gas cylinders to the commercial users.
Punjab would commence the registration for UID in February 2011 and close by September 2011.
The department would soon enter into agreements with the private players for outsourcing the enrollment activity for the 12 digit UID number. About 2,000 machines would be installed simultaneously to carry out the enrollment in the state.
“It is a stupendous task to cover a population of over 25 million in a single phase as we are not doing any pilot projects. We are partnering with NGOs, panchayats and educational institutes to disseminate information among people to expedite our operation and complete the process within the timeframe.”
