ID cards were recently given out to prevent theft and ensure legitimacy for a food distribution program in India
In an effort to eliminate fraud and distribution issues, the Government of India is issuing smartcards to participants of a food ration program in its Haryanna district.
The program will store biometric fingerprint identification information of each member older than 12 and is expected to cover the entire district by the end of 2011. The government is implementing the smartcards to prevent common theft and mistakes in the area’s public distribution system. According to a study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research, more than 40 percent of kerosene offered through the public distribution system is being diverted and either sold through the black market or purchased by residents who do not meet the need requirements of the program.
While distributing the cards to residents of the area, food and supplies minister Mahendra Pratap Singh explained how the plastic ID cards will solve issues within the current distribution system.
"It would protect the rights of genuine stakeholders, would help in fast disposal of stakeholder grievances [and the] dissemination of information," he said.
India’s authorities have recently worked to supply more secure ID systems in its government initiatives, as members of a recent work program in New Delhi were given smartcards to make sure illiterate laborers could still receive their paychecks.
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