New Delhi: As per the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution's released list, 32 states and Union Territories of India have actively implemented the One Nation One Ration Card scheme. The scheme is still not implemented in 4 states and one Union Territory to date.
West Bengal, Assam, Delhi and Chattisgarh are yet to implement the scheme. Most likely the remaining states will complete the process by the year-end and will join the central government's One Nation One Ration Card scheme. Migrants and labourers will be the primary beneficiaries of this scheme. Migrants move to other states in search of better livelihood and by One Nation One Ration Card, they will now have food security. Almost 81 crores beneficiaries will now be able to procure rations from any government approved ration stores anywhere in India.
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The ration cardholders will get 5 kg of rice at 3 rupees per kg and wheat at 2 rupees per kg. In the states where this scheme is implemented, PDS stores have to install E- POS machines. Under the One Nation One Ration Card scheme, PDS beneficiaries will be identified by their Aadhaar Card. It will have an all-India validity. Beneficiaries will have to link their Ration card with Aadhaar. Using biometric identification, beneficiaries can easily procure their quota of rations. 70 crore beneficiaries are already availing the benefits under this scheme.
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States and UTs will have an added advantage of borrowing 0.25 per cent of their GDP from the central government if they successfully implement the scheme and ensure fair price sales. Under this scheme, the following states have received permission to borrow: Andhra Pradesh - 2,525 crores, Goa -223 crores, Gujrat - 4,352 crores, Haryana -2146 crores, Himachal Pradesh - 438 crores, Karnataka - 4509 crores, Kerala - 2,261 crores, Madhya Pradesh -2,373 crores, Manipur - 75 crores, Odisha - 1,429 crores, Punjab - 1,516 crores, Rajasthan - 2,731 crores, Tamil Nadu - 4,813, Telangana - 2,508, Tripura - 148, Uttarakhand - 702, Uttar Pradesh - 4851 crores. Further, these 17 states' Expenditure department has received permission to borrow additional funds of 37,600 crores from the central government.
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