Karnataka aims to lead cashless race at PDS shops

BENGALURU: In the race to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a cashless India, Congress - ruled Karnataka is looking to pip BJP-ruled states, such as Maharashtra and Haryana, by implementing Aadhaar-based payments in the public distribution system (PDS).

Aadhar-enabled point-of-sale (PoS) machines at 20,778 fairprice shops in Karnataka will use biometric authentication of 1.08 crore below-poverty-line (BPL) rationcard holders to release rations. According to sources, Aadhaar seeding has been done for the card holders and kerosene is already being given to them through Aadhaarauthenticated coupons.

The state now wants to take this forward by linking the Jan Dhan accounts of the card holders through Aadhaar. Karnataka’s food and civil supplies secretary Harsh Gupta told ET: “We are aiming to introduce Aadhaar-based payments for rations within a month. Ration card holders don’t have to pay in cash. In fact, they are currently taking rations on credit.”