On 10th March 2025, APAL’s State Committee in Madhya Pradesh took a significant step in advocating for the rights of persons affected by leprosy by facilitating their access to biometric ration cards. Many individuals affected by leprosy have lost their fingers due to ulcers, making it difficult for them to provide fingerprints, a mandatory requirement for availing government social entitlements, including food security benefits. This long-standing issue has prevented several people from accessing their rightful benefits, leaving them in a vulnerable state. Recognizing this challenge, APAL intervened to ensure that these individuals from Sevada Aashram Machla, Indore, were not deprived of their essential needs due to a technical limitation.
To address this issue, APAL’s State Committee in Madhya Pradesh organized a visit to the Collector’s Office, taking affected individuals along to advocate for a viable solution. With persistent efforts and dialogue, they successfully convinced the authorities to accept an alternative biometric verification method—iris scanning—for the submission of their Know Your Customer (KYC) details. This breakthrough ensured that individuals who could not provide fingerprints due to their condition were still able to access their ration cards and other social benefits without further obstacles. This initiative not only resolved an immediate issue but also set a precedent for similar cases, strengthening the movement for equal rights and inclusion of persons affected by leprosy in government welfare programs.
