Ever since the government made the linking of mobile numbers to the Aadhaar Card compulsory for the drawing of ration from fair price shops, the Aadhaar Enrolment and Updation Centers in the city are witnessing a huge turn out of people who were failing in drawing their ration due to technical issues.
The old process of biometric (fingerprints) has been abolished now and the beneficiaries can only get the ration if their mobiles are successfully generating the OTP or clearing the IRIS process. However, many of the people are failing in getting the OTP number on their mobile and many even failing in IRIS recognition.
”The new process is quite a time-consuming process. Moreover, many of the beneficiaries don’t have their mobile number linked with aadhaar card thereby failing in generating OTP number on their mobile and many even failing in IRIS recognition. At least five out of 10 people are failing in getting the OTP number on their phone or clear the IRIS process. This has actually slowed down the process,” informed Mohammed Zaheeruddin who runs a fair price shop at Hassannagar, Rajendranagar.
There are a total of 16,991 Fair Price Shops (FPS) in the state that used to supply rice and few other food grains on control prices to the beneficiaries classified into different economic groups. Only two districts such as Hyderabad and Rangareddy collectively have 1593 FPSs that facilitate the distribution of food grains, largely rice and wheat, among 87,46,487 beneficiaries having Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards known as ration cards.
Only on 20th January last month the government, through its circular, have made OTP and IRIS oriented distribution of ration mandatory from 1st February 2021 prompting the food security card holders to rush to liking their mobile numbers with the adhaar card that would help them get the ration without any inconvenience.
Issued through Commissioner of Civil Supplies, Hyderabad the circular asked the Chief Rationing Officer, Hyderabad and the Collectors (civil supplies) to take necessary action and issue instructions to all the Tehsildars and the field level functionaries to ensure that except biometrics (fingerprint) other two options such as the generation of OTP and IRIS should be provided to all the cardholders at Fair price shops for the smooth drawing of ration from 1st February onwards.
This has led to people throng to mee-Seva centers or Aadhaar Enrolment and Updation Service centers being set up by the Postal Department.
“Aadhar Enrolment and Updation Service is not a new initiative but a continuous service being provided by the Hyderabad GPO since 2017. There are around 139 centers operating in twin cities under 11 head post offices including GPO besides 128 sub-post offices. Every day nearly 60 customers are being allowed to get their aadhaar enrolled / updation at General Post Office (GPO), Hyderabad. The service with present software version is more improved amplified by software modifications received from UIDAI,” informed K.Jayaraju, Chief Postmaster, GPO, Abids, Hyderabad.
This office, he said, is also conducting ‘Aadhaar Melas’ every often at potential areas as and when the request comes from the public. “However, the ‘Aadhaar Melas’ will only be conducted if there are more than 50 people available in a particular area or group of apartments. Besides, we are extending our services even on Sundays on a pilot basis till 29th March, the initiative that was well received by the public,” he asserted.
