Biometric authentication not needed for ration until June 28th, says Kerala govt to HC; OTP required

KOCHI: State government on Friday informed the Kerala high court that exemption has been given from using biometric authentication for distributing ration articles until June 28th but one-time password (OTP) system has to be continued.


If OTP system is also discarded and manual system is allowed, mismanagement of food articles may happen and those eligible for ration articles may not get them, special government pleader MH Hanil Kumar submitted before justice Anu Sivaraman.

Government was responding to a petition (WP-C No. 10958/2020) filed by All Kerala Ration Dealers Association through advocate Soloman Baby. It was alleged by the association that use of biometric system for ration distribution will result in spread of Covid-19. A ration dealer at Palakkad has contracted Covid-19, they had contended.

Petitioner’s counsel submitted that the association is strongly opposing the OTP system also as many members of the public, including the aged, don’t know how to access the OTP on their phones. The court pointed out that no ration card holders have approached the court and said ration dealers need not worry about the OTP system. Representatives from the panchayat or somebody else will help ration card holders, the court added while asking the dealers not to handle phones of card holders.

Further, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that biometric system has been mandated for Portability Ration Card holders. The government’s counsel submitted that OTP system can be used for such card holders also until June 28th. Such users are below one per cent of the number of total ration card holders, government’s counsel pointed out. Recording the submission of the government, the court posted the case for further hearing on June 23rd.