By Express News Service

ADILABAD: Lack of mobile phone network, which is causing problems in disbursement of PDS essential commodities at some places, has claimed the life of a woman who went to purchase ration from a Fair Price Shop (FPS).With failing mobile signals, several ration shop dealers were putting their Point of Sale (PoS) machines atop hillocks or buildings so as to get access to the biometrics of the beneficiaries.

On Wednesday, a 50-year-old woman, who went to collect rations from a fair price shop situated atop a building at Gangapur village in Kaddem mandal of Nirmal district, slipped from the staircase and died from the fatal injuries she received.

“Due to poor signals in the district, PoS machines installed in fair price shops were not working properly in interior areas and the dealers were asking people to come to the top of the building where their shop is located to take biometric impression. A Lasmava climbed the building to give biometric impression and, while coming down, slipped from the staircase and died within minutes of suffering fatal injuries,’’ police said.

As the news spread, opposition leaders staged a dharna in the village demanding ex gratia to the woman’s family. Police and the tahsildar assured the villagers that the issue would be brought to the notice of the government and steps taken to improve transmission signals.