Mumbai: The government on Thursday made submitting a copy of Aadhaar card with food distribution authority (FDA) compulsory for procuring foodgrains at government subsidised rates, ET Now reported.

Earlier, it was essential not compulsory to produce Aadhaar card for buying wheat, rice and kerosene from public distribution systems (PDS) shops at subsidised rates.

Under Food Security Act, government provides cheaper foodgrains. It also started under the act a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme under which it transferred subsidy amount to consumer's bank account.

At present, a ration card holder gets 5 kg of government grain per person per month. The government gives subsidy on them and sells them through these PDS shops that locally work under FDA across the country.

A person can purchase at these shops rice Rs 3 per kg and wheat at Rs 2 per kg every month. Recently Maharashtra government announced it was planning to go digital with fair price shops and would put up biometric machines at PDS shops.

State also clarified that it would link Aadhaar card of people buying grains at PDS shops and would also ask them to register their biometric details with their respective fair price shops.