17 states have successfully operationalized the 'One Nation One Ration Card system' with Uttarakhand being the latest state to complete the reform.

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States completing the 'One Nation One Ration Card' system reform are eligible for additional borrowing of 0.25 percent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Accordingly, these states have been granted additional borrowing permission of Rs 37,600 crore, PIB said in a statement today.

'One Nation One Ration Card System' is an important citizen-centric reform. Its implementation ensures the availability of ration to beneficiaries under the 'National Food Security Act (NFSA)' and other welfare schemes, especially the migrant workers and their families, at any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country.

The reform especially empowers the migratory population mostly laborers, daily wagers, urban poor like rag pickers, street dwellers, temporary workers in organized and unorganized sectors, domestic workers, etc, who frequently change their place of dwelling to be self-reliant in food security. This technology-driven reform enables the migrant beneficiaries to get their entitled quota of food grains from any electronic point of sale (e-PoS) enabled fair Price Shops of their choice anywhere in the country, PIB release mentioned.

The reform also enables the states to better targeting of beneficiaries, eliminating bogus/ duplicate/ineligible cardholders resulting in enhanced welfare and reduced leakage. Further, to ensure seamless inter-state portability of a ration card, Aadhar seeding of all ration cards as well as biometric authentication of beneficiaries through automation of all Fair Price Shops (FPSs) with the installation of electronic point of sale (e-PoS) devices are essential, it said.

First Published:Mar 11, 2021 1:24 PM IST