'One nation, one ration card' to be implemented across India by June 1: Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan

The central government's 'One Nation, One Ration Card' system, under which beneficiaries can buy subsidised food grains from ration shops in any part of the country, will be implemented across the country by June 1.

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan, while speaking to reports at Patna in Bihar, said, "We will implement the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme by June 1 in the whole country. Under this scheme, a beneficiary will be able to avail benefits across the country using the same ration card."

Earlier, Paswan had announced that the initiative had come into effect initially in 12 states from January 1, and will gradually be implemented in the rest of the country by June.

In its initial stage, the scheme has been implemented in 12 states - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, and Jharkhand. The beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS) of these 12 states will now be able to get their share of ration from their current ration card while residing in any of these states.

Under this provision, a standard format of the new Ration Card is being provided asking the states to emulate the new format, which will be launched from June 1, 2020. The ration cards issued by different states and union territories will have a similar standard format. On the basis of the old card, beneficiaries of the public distribution system will be able to get a new ration card.

These states will provide portability of the Public Distribution System (PDS) entitlement using Point of Sale (PoS) machines, which have been installed in all the ration shops in these states. Now eligible beneficiaries, mainly migrant labourers and daily wagers, will be able to avail their entitled food grains under the National Food Security Act from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) at the subsidised using the same ration card, after a biometric/AADHAAR authentication on the earlier mentioned electronic PoS machines.

Through this step, the Centre estimates, approximately 35 million people will benefit as they will be able to use their ration cards in any state. A total of 79 crore people in the country will have ration cards. The initiative is largely considered to be important to the welfare of the numerous migrant beneficiaries such as labourers, daily wagers, blue-collar workers, etc. who frequently change their place of dwelling in search of employment across the country.

Ram Vilas Paswan had on December 3 last year announced that the 'one nation, one ration card' system will be "implemented without fail in the entire country" by June 30, 2020. The new mechanism 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 cardholders, he had added.

Since November 2016, the Narendra Modi government is implementing the National Food Security Act, under which foodgrains are supplied every month at highly subsidised rates of Rs 1 3 per kg to over 80 crore people in the country.