Govt to try intra-state portability of ration cards on pilot basis

According to the GO, ration cardholders can purchase foodgrain from any ration shops in the state. Initially, the scheme would be tested in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts on a pilot basis and once it is successful the scheme would be extended to the entire state.

The Central government is ambitiously pursuing ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ despite the Opposition parties criticising them. Even the state government has accepted to implement the scheme and it is likely to come into force in June.

The scheme requires portability of ration cards across the country and to test the practical difficulties towards implementation of the scheme, the state has gone for intrastate portability before trying it out on a national basis.

The officials of the Civil Supplies Department in the districts concerned are advised to maintain excess stock in all the ration shops for effective implementation of the portability scheme. “To facilitate smooth flow of intra-state portability in the state, 20 percentage of additional allotment has to be made in addition to the excess entitlement,” the GO states.

However, the government has laid several restrictions in using the portability scheme. The shops are categorised into existing shops and commodity lifting shops. Existing shop is the PDS shop where the name of the beneficiary is originally listed and the commodity lifting shop is the one where the beneficiary intends to buy ration products.

“The distance between the existing shops and the commodity lifting shops should be limited to not in same revenue village in rural areas and not in the same ward in urban areas,” states the GO.

The state government is also planning to strengthen online billing systems so that offline billing is completely eradicated. “The cardholders can draw their entitled commodities either through smart card or Aadhaar card or by using registered mobile numbers by getting OTP,” the GO states.

The benefits of the scheme, according to the government, are that it will be helpful for migrant labourers and the cardholders would have the option of drawing their entitlement at any place or locality feasible on migration.