In yet another reform under the Public Distribution System (PDS), the Department of Food and Civil Supplies is launching a biometric coupon-based system for kerosene distribution to eligible ration card holders from June 1.
Beneficiaries have to generate coupons by furnishing their ration card and Aadhaar numbers. Linking of Aadhaar number with ration card has become essential for them to avail their quota of kerosene.
A ration card holder with single member is eligible to get two litres of kerosene a month while two or more members will get four litres of kerosene. Subsidised kerosene costs Rs. 18 a litre.
Coupon-based kerosene distribution is being launched on a pilot basis in Mysuru, Nanjangud, T. Narsipur, Bannur, K.R. Nagar, Periyapatna, H.D. Kote, Hunsur and Sargur. In addition, one gram panchayat in each taluk will be covered under the new system.
From June, the fair price shops are supposed to distribute kerosene against the coupons.
The fair price shop owners and kerosene retailers had been told to buy an Android phone which is compulsory under the system, and download the software from the department website.
Each shop and retailer will get an user ID and password and will get a list of beneficiaries who don’t have LPG connection.
Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies K. Rameshwarappa told The Hindu that the beneficiaries can generate coupons by sending an SMS to 9731979899, which issues a unique code to the respective fair price shops or kerosene retailers, who can cross-verify whether beneficiary is eligible for the benefit by sending the ration card number to the same department number.
He said that the coupons can also be generated at MysuruOne (citizen service centre), the gram panchayat office, Atalji Jana Snehi Kendra, private photo service centres by providing their Aadhaar and ration card numbers.
Mr Rameshwarappa said coupons can also be generated by visiting the website http://ahara.kar.nic.in/lpg
There are 4,90,000 ration card holders in Mysuru district and the system is being introduced on a pilot basis to see the results.
On seeing the feedback, the system will be covered for all the areas.
The department had been educating representatives of fair price shops, kerosene retailers, PDOs and computer operators on how the coupon-system works and get them familiarised with the system. Training was conducted for them at Kalamandira here on Friday.
