Consumers complain of long waiting time at fair price shops due to cards being classified as Priority House Hold

People are complaining of long waiting times at fair price shops due to a section of family cards being classified as Priority House Hold (PHH).

“I was asked to place my palm on the scanner twice. The first time was for rice and wheat and the second was for sugar, palm oil, and dal. Since the scanner did not work properly, I had to place my palm a few more times, which took time,” said Viswanathan of Pattabiram, and a PHH card holder.

If a PHH card holder needs more time to ensure the biometric data matches what is in the records, other customers are also forced to wait their turn. “Why is there a need for two bills and scans. All of us get the same items. The government should allow iris scans if the palm print data does not register properly,” said S. Vaidehi, a homemaker.

Viswanathan of Chitlapakkam said that at the fair price shop in his area, there were only 100 PHH cards, and if internet connectivity was slow, the shopkeeper would ask consumers to bear with him. “Since there aren’t many PHH card holders, people don’t have to wait long,” he said.

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said some other system should be implemented to reduce the waiting time for those with non-PHH cards. “Even with PHH cards, visiting the local fair price shop is not a very pleasant experience for many. The scanning devices need replacement,” he said.

A retired official of the Civil Supplies Department said the Centre was supplying rice and wheat to PHH cards holders, which was why there were two bills. Officials could not be reached for a response.