Chennai: The system of verifying the biometrics of the customers while giving ration entitlements at ration shops resumed in Tamilnadu from today.
Biometric verification was suspended for short period earlier to avoid crowding of the card holders who gathered outside at the ration shops to collect Rs 2,000 cash assistance and 14-item assortment of groceries provided under Covid relief.
Stating that 98.59 per cent of card holders were distributed grocery packages and 93.99 per cent of card holders have been distributed Rs 2,000 Covid relief so far, an official announcement said that it has been permitted to allow biometric authentication and approval cum printing of new cards from 1 July.
The State government has been distributing Rs 4,000 per card as Covid relief in two equal instalments in May and June, as was promised by Chief Minister M K Stalin ahead of the Assembly election.
Meanwhile, authorities would also commence accepting applications for new ration cards. The system was suspended briefly to facilitate the speedy disbursement of Covid-19 relief kit and cash assistance to beneficiaries.