TIRUCHY: A day after TNIE reported on the struggles dhobis face to get essentials from fair price shops as the scanners don’t register their fingerprints, the district supply officer (DSO) on Monday directed officials to provide such items to Alagiripuram dhobis without seeking such biometric authentication, putting an end to a decades-long ordeal.
TNIE in a report in its edition dated April 14, 2024 highlighted the dhobis’ struggle at PDS shops after their fingerprints faded from hours of washing dirt off clothes using chemicals.
K Meenatchi, the DSO, told TNIE, “The ration card holders of Alagiripuram who are facing fingerprint authentication issues can buy essentials through proxy mode upon approval from the Srirangam taluk supply officer.”
“If all members of a family have issue with fingerprint authentication, they can opt for a proxy. They can also procure items by registering fingerprints of young family members,” she added. PDS shop staff have been instructed to give preference to such card holders, officials said.
Notably, iris-scanning is being implemented at 70 PDS shops here on a trial basis. Once this is extended to all shops, the dhobis hope the problem will be resolved for good.