Biometric PDS System Spreading Covid, Bihar PDS Dealers Threaten Strike
Bihar fair price dealers association has sought immediate discontinuation of the Aadhaar-based biometric authentication (ABBA) system at state’s approximately 55,000 fair price shops, run under the public distribution systems (PDS), alleging its use was spreading coronavirus. They are threatening to go on an indefinite strike from May 5 and return the biometric machines in protest if the system is not discontinued by April 30. The government has however rejected their demand.
ABBA was introduced to check leakages in the PDS, which is also the channel for delivery of additional subsidised foodgrains to the poor under the national food security act.
"There are a total of 87.1mn PDS beneficiaries and around 55,000 PDS dealers. On an average, a PDS shop is visited by around 500 beneficiaries daily. There are no safety measures like sanitisers, soaps, PPEs kits for the dealers. The point of sales (POS) machines are also risky in these times of Covid,” association’s president Barun Kumar Singh said. The dealers refer to the ABBA system as POS machines.
Singh claimed that at least 11 dealers across the state died due to Covid-19 infection in the last two weeks and a large number with their families were infected. The association has also demanded an insurance cover of ₹50 lakh for PDS dealers.
(Hindustan Times)
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