'One Ration Card' scheme to be implemented in all states & UTs by March 2021: RS Prasad

Union Minister for communication Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said that the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' implementation will be completed in all states and Union Territories by March 2021. Prasad further said that the Centre government initiative will provide relief to the beneficiaries allowing them and their family members to avail food grains from any fair price shop in the country. 

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PM Modi asks state govts to ramp up implementation

Last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked state governments to ramp up implementation of the ambitious 'One Nation, One Ration card' initiative to allow beneficiaries to get subsidised food who have migrated to other states in search of employment. "We have seen a dream for the whole country and some states have really done well. We are requesting other states also to take it forward. And, what is that? Now, One Nation, One Ration card is also being implemented. Major beneficiaries of this will be those who go to other states, in search of employment," said PM Modi had said in his address to the nation.

In order to bring reform and modernize the Public Distribution System (PDS), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in May announced that 'One Nation One Ration Card' will be implemented under which any migrant beneficiary with a ration card can get his food provisions at any Fair Price store located anywhere in India.

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About 'one nation, one ration card' scheme

The 'one nation, one ration card' scheme allows a beneficiary to avail subsidized ration anywhere in the country, provided the ration card is linked to Aadhaar.  There are 100 percent POS machines installed at ration shops to avail the ration. The scheme is already available in 12 states - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Tripura, Goa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh since January 1. There is no need to procure new ration cards under the scheme and is applicable through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative.

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(Image credit-PTI)