Explained: What is One Nation, One Ration Card

New Delhi, Jan 21: 'One Nation One Ration Card' scheme, which will allow portability of food security benefits, will be implemented by June 1 across the country. The ambitious scheme allows migrants to buy subsidised rice and wheat from ration shop across the country.

The scheme has already been launched in 16 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Gujarat and Jharkhand.

What is One Nation One Ration Card scheme?

One Nation One Ration Card will give free hand to the beneficiaries, as they will not be tied to single PDS shop. It also lessens their dependence on shop owners and curb corruption. The scheme will also allow portability of food security benefits.

What is a ration card?

Ration cards are an official document issued by the respective state governments to households, depending on the number of members in a family and the financial status of the applicant. Households that are eligible get essential food grains at subsidised prices from designated ration shops, also called fair price.

Who will be benefited?

A large migratory population of the country, who migrate from one part of the country to other in search of job/employment, marriage, or any other reason and find difficulty in accessing subsidized foodgrains will be of benefit.

A migrant will be allowed to buy a maximum of 50 per cent of the family quota. As many as 81 crore people will be benefited from this scheme because they will receive wheat at Rs 2 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg.

Is Aadhaar linkage necessary?

While Aadhaar linkage is not necessary to access NFSA benefits in a beneficiary's local registered ration shop, located closest to her home address, it will be necessary to access the portability scheme.

The beneficiaries would be able to avail the entitled foodgrains after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on ePoS (electronic Point of Sale) devices.

What are the challenges?

There is a fear that this scheme may increase the woes of the common man as the middlemen and corrupt PDS shop owners may exploit them. The state of Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal of the Centre, saying it would result in undesirable consequences and is against federalism.