Fraud control: Food grains, kerosene to sell on biometrics

Kolhapur: Maharashtra government will soon implement the Aadhaar card-linked biometric system in fair price shops to curb black marketing, a state minister said. "We are strictly against black marketing and outflow of food grain and kerosene.

Maharashtra government is spending Rs 11,000 crore on distributing food grains and kerosene to below poverty line (BPL) people," state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat said in a press conference. However, food grain and kerosene worth approximately Rs 2,500-3,000 crore do not reach the beneficiaries and vanish from the market, he said. Therefore, to cut out the fraud, the government will introduce of Aadhaar card linked biometric procedure in fare price shops as well," he added. Bapat arrived in Kolhapur to attend the BJP executive meeting scheduled tomorrow.