GARIABAND, Chhattisgarh (June 23, 2025)
Chaos erupted at a government ration shop in Ward 3 of Gariaband district after beneficiaries, frustrated by long delays, broke open the locked gate to access their three-month ration supply earlier today timesofindia.indiatimes.com+3ndtv.com+3ndtv.com+3.
Under the state’s recent policy, eligible families receive a three-month ration allotment in a single visit. However, technical failures plagued the process: OTP authentication failed repeatedly, fingerprint scans misfired, and server outages slowed operations to a crawl. Despite the salesperson being inside, the shop remained locked, aggravating the waiting crowd ndtv.com.
As tensions escalated, dozens—especially women, elderly people, and children—forced open the iron gate. The rush led to a stampede-like scenario, with several people falling and sustaining minor injuries before police arrived and restored order ndtv.com.
A local resident shared:
“New biometric machines led to OTP delays. Only 20–22 people were being served in a day despite long queues” ndtv.com.
Ration salesperson Ramesh Nirmalkar confirmed each transaction took up to 30 minutes, citing persistent OTP and fingerprint issues ndtv.com.
⚠️ Systemic Failures Exposed
OTP verification failures and fingerprint mismatches repeatedly delayed service.
The locked gate despite staff presence worsened the situation.
Beneficiaries, many elderly and vulnerable, were left waiting for hours.
🚨 Response from Authorities
After police intervention calmed the crowd, district officials acknowledged the failure and assured corrective measures. They plan to review the equipment, fix software issues, and improve crowd management for future distributions ndtv.com.
Despite Chhattisgarh’s “Rice Festival” scheme distributing three months’ provisions to 81 lakh families earlier this month, technical and logistical issues at some shops continue to undermine the rollout ndtv.com+2ndtv.com+2timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2.
❓ FAQs
Q1. Why were people receiving three months’ ration at once?
The state government launched this policy to provide relief ahead of monsoon and streamline the distribution process timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Q2. What caused the delay at the Gariaband shop?
Repeated OTP verification failures, fingerprint scanning errors, and server outages slowed down the process significantly ndtv.com.
Q3. Who broke the gate, and why?
Dozens of frustrated beneficiaries, including vulnerable populations, forced the gate open after waiting hours without access.
Q4. Were there any injuries?
Yes, several individuals were pushed and fell, but only minor injuries were reported; no major harm occurred ndtv.com.
Q5. What are the authorities doing now?
Police have controlled the situation, and district officials plan to upgrade biometric systems, improve software reliability, and enhance crowd control measures.
published on 23rd june
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