Raj completes 'One Nation One Ration Card' reform, gets to borrow Rs 2,731 cr

Rajasthan has become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of Rs 2,731 crore through Open Market Borrowings. Permission for the same has been issued by the Department of Expenditure.

New Delhi: Rajasthan has become the 12th state in the country to successfully undertake 'One Nation One Ration Card' reform stipulated by the Union Finance Ministry.

With this, the state has become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of Rs 2,731 crore through Open Market Borrowings. Permission for the same has been issued by the Department of Expenditure.

Rajasthan has now joined 11 other states namely, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, who have completed this reform.

On completion of 'One Nation One Ration Card' system reform, these 12 states have been granted additional borrowing permission of Rs 33,440 crore by the Department of Expenditure.

'One Nation One Ration Card' system is a citizen-centric reform. Its implementation ensures availability of ration to beneficiaries under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, especially the migrant workers and their families, at any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country.

The reform especially empowers the migratory population, mostly labourers, daily wagers, urban poor like ragpickers, street dwellers, temporary workers in organised and unorganised sectors, domestic workers etc, who frequently change their place of dwelling to be self-reliant in food security.

This technology-driven reform enables the migrant beneficiaries to get their entitled quota of food grains from any electronic point of sale (e-PoS)-enabled fair price shops of their choice anywhere in the country.

The reform also enables the states in better targeting of beneficiaries, elimination of bogus/ duplicate/ineligible card holders resulting in enhanced welfare and reduced leakage.

Further, to ensure seamless inter-state portability of a ration card, Aadhaar seeding of all ration cards as well as biometric authentication of beneficiaries through automation of all Fair Price Shops (FPSs) with installation of e-PoS devices are essential.

Therefore, additional borrowing limit of 0.25 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is allowed to the states only on completion of both of the following actions: Aadhaar seeding of all ration cards and beneficiaries in the state, and automation of all the FPSs in the state.

(IANS)