The Maharashtra Government saturday said that it will conduct a combined data collection survey for the unique national identity and biometric ration cards to save time and duplication.

"Both the projects are expected to commence in early November and State authorities are floating district wise tenders to carry out the giant task," Maharashtra Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Anil Deshmukh told reporters here.

"The State government is utilising the opportunity for the identity cards survey and is clubbing it to save time and duplication. About 2.5 crore PDS cards through biometric system are required and thus a total of eight-crore population out of the State's 11 crore would be covered in one stroke," he added.

Records of people, along with their palm impression, would be thus available, he added.

The Minister said that PDS system in the state was being computerised to avoid illegal and bogus claims and fraud in distribution of ration.

A ration shop will be connected online connected to Mantralaya via tahsil office and collectorate which will reflect the actual stock position on a daily basis, he said.

Maharashtra will be the first state to introduce biometric system, Deshmukh claimed.