Question : Implementation of One Nation-One Ration Card

(a) the details of the total number of Ration Card holders in the country at present, State/UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government proposes to implement ‘One Nation-One Ration Card (ONORC)’ scheme across the country, if so, the details thereof along with the aims and objectives and the salient features of the said scheme;

(c) the details of the States in which the scheme is yet to be implemented and the time by which such scheme is likely to be implemented all over the country;

(d) the details of facilities likely to be provided by the Government through this Ration Card and the details of the steps taken by the Government to ensure that vulnerable and marginalized group of people are not excluded from the Public Distribution System (PDS) on account of implementation of ONORC; and

(e) whether the Government proposes to provide kerosene oil to the farmers at subsidized rate through this Ration Card, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a): A Statement showing State/UT wise total number of Ration Cards in the country at present is annexed.
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(b) to (d): Under the scheme on “Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)” the Department is implementing nation-wide portability of ration card holders through ''One Nation One Ration Card'' plan, which enables any eligible ration card holder/beneficiary covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) to lift their entitled foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice in the country by using their existing/same ration card after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs. So far, the facility of national/inter-State portability under this plan is available in 12 States, namely - Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura. Further, integration of remaining States/UTs depends on the readiness of States/UTs to implement the same.

Further, Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State/Union Territory (UT) Governments, wherein, inter-alia the operational responsibilities for identification of eligible households/beneficiaries under NFSA, issuance of ration cards to them rest with the concerned State/UT Governments. However, to ensure that the benefits of NFSA are reaching to all vulnerable and economically weakest sections of the society through TPDS, the Department has advised all States/UTs to take pro-active approach for reaching out to such sections of the population through special drives from time-to-time to identify and issue ration cards to them under NFSA.


(e): Under NFSA ration cards, at present beneficiaries can only lift foodgrains namely Rice, Wheat and Coarse-grains from the Fair Price Shops (FPSs).

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Annexure
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1534 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 11.02.2020 IN THE LOK SABHA

Status of End-to-End Computerization of PDS Operations Scheme

Sl. No. States/UTs Total Ration Cards under NFSA
1 Andaman & Nicobar 16,342
2 Andhra Pradesh 90,27,634
3 Arunachal Pradesh 1,77,607
4 Assam 57,87,006
5 Bihar 1,67,23,631
6 Chandigarh (DBT) 67,527
7 Chhattisgarh 52,82,969
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 45,736
9 Daman & Diu 19,993
10 Delhi 17,48,526
11 Goa 1,42,147
12 Gujarat 65,81,540
13 Haryana 26,97,110
14 Himachal Pradesh 6,78,675
15 Jammu & Kashmir (incl. Ladakh) 16,75,443
16 Jharkhand 57,19,194
17 Karnataka 1,26,78,228
18 Kerala 37,29,759
19 Lakshadweep 5,153
20 Madhya Pradesh 1,17,47,674
21 Maharashtra 1,50,67,403
22 Manipur 5,88,837
23 Meghalaya 4,21,502
24 Mizoram 1,55,643
25 Nagaland 2,82,209
26 Odisha 93,20,884
27 Puducherry (DBT) 1,77,977
28 Punjab 35,18,327
29 Rajasthan 1,11,06,203
30 Sikkim 94,704
31 Tamil Nadu 1,01,41,800
32 Telangana 53,24,508
33 Tripura 5,78,828
34 Uttar Pradesh 3,53,22,427
35 Uttarakhand 13,36,938
36 West Bengal 5,63,49,434
Summary 23,43,39,518
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