In a yr, roll out One Nation, One Ration Card: Centre to states, UTs

Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that by June 30, 2020, the govt is going to roll out "One Nation, One Ration Card" scheme. In this scheme, ration card holders can buy subsidised foodgrains from ration shops in any states or UTs of India. Paswan said that the centre has given one year deadline to the states and UTs to be prepared for it.

"All ration shops in the country will be connected through Aadhar and will ensure that all sells will be done through Point of Sale (PoS) machines and the process is already in the last phase, informed the Minister." "The new system will ensure no poor is deprived of PDS entitlement if that person shifts from one place to another. The system will also help remove fake ration card holders," he added.

Paswan said that right now 10 states are already providing portability of public distribution system (PDS), beneficiaries buying foodgrains through PoS machines and all ration shops in these states are connected through internet.

These states are: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharasthra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura.

People from Gujarat- Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh- Telangana will start buying foodgrains through this system by 15th August 2019. In the meeting of food secretaries from all states which took place in Delhi few days back, it was decided that the system should be implemented within two months in Delhi, Maharashtra, Hyderabad and Mumbai's main cities where most of the labours come for work.

"By next June 30, 2020, 'one nation, one ration card' should be implemented without fail in the entire country. We have written letters to the state government to fast track the implementation of this system," Paswan told reporters.

Besides that, the food ministry is planning to distribute fortified rice to curb the malnutrition under the PDS. This scheme of Rs 147.61 crore has been approved on 14th January 2019 and it will be implemented as pilot project for three years. The cost will be beared by the centre and state in the ratio of 75:25 and that will be 90:10 for North Eastern states.

The pilot project will be initiated in at least one district of 15 states. Primarily it has been approved for nine states and the districts in the states have already been selected. The states where fortified rice distribution project will be initiated are: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamilnadu and Assam. Other states have also been requested to select the district and mills or agencies for fortified rice and implement the scheme as soon as possible. This has been kept under Govt 100 days agenda as well.

—Zee Media Newsroom