Licences of 292 fair price shops across the city were suspended this week after the Department of Food and Civil Supplies found that the shops had fraudulently generated Aadhaar-linked biometric coupons. The coupons are now mandatory to obtain foodgrains and other commodities in urban areas. Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary of the department, said the decision to suspend the licences was taken after the department verified the information in the server. He said the order was issued by the district administration after the department alerted officials there about the fraud and recommended action. He said the department would conduct a detailed inquiry in the next couple of weeks. Mr. Gupta also said there was no need for consumers or card-holders to panic as they can obtain ration from nearby shops. Although similar exercises to suspend fair price shop licences have been taken in the past, officials say this is one of the first large-scale suspensions. “The idea of issuing coupons started two mont...
News Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/292-fair-price-shops-lose-licence-over-alleged-fraud/article9331376.ece