One Nation One Ration Card Scheme: What are its benefits?

The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme was initiated by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to provide essential food items at discounted rates for the near-poverty or below poverty population of the nation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this scheme, ration card holders or beneficiaries eligible under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), can purchase subsidised food from any Fair Price Shop under the Public Distribution System within the country. This ration card is applicable to all states and union territories in the country.

Reason behind implementing ONORC

India is home to 80 crore beneficiaries, entitled to receive subsidised food and grain under the National Food Security Act 2013. However, only 23 crore ration cards have been issued that allow beneficiaries to purchase subsidised food and grain from their locally assigned PDS (Public Distribution System). This was particularly problematic for migrants who had migrated to other cities for work. With an ONORC card, an individual could purchase subsidised food from any FPS (Fair Price Shop) shop in any locality and any city.

See also: What are the different types of ration cards in India?

One nation one ration card: Benefits

Since April 2018, the ONORC scheme has been working to convert regular ration cards to the One Nation One Ration Card. It will be implemented for all beneficiaries in all state and union territories by 2022. Food minister Ram Vilas Paswan said three new states – Odisha, Sikkim and Mizoram had joined the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme, taking the number of states and union territories that have joined the scheme to 20.

The main benefits one nation one ration card are mentioned below:

• Under the scheme, beneficiaries in one state can receive the same fair rations in other states where the ration card was issued.
• A beneficiary has the option to switch to an alternative FPS.
• The scheme is beneficial to women and other people belonging to poor sections of society as social identity enables access to PDS.
• India has been ranked 102 among 117 countries on the Global Hunger Index. The scheme aims to meet the target of ending hunger by 2030 under Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Ending hunger by 2030.

Regular Ration Card to ONORC card conversion

Under the One Nation One Ration Card initiative, the government is changing several ration cards into ONORC cards. The portability procedure of regular Ration Card to the One Ration Card will be done on intra-state and inter-state levels, through various portals assigned for this purpose. The portability will be done online, where an Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IMPDS) will provide the technical support for the inter-state ration cards’ portability. The Annavitran portal will be the website, which will contain information pertaining to the distribution of food through the E-POS system. The portability will enable migrant workers to purchase foodgrains from any FPS across the country.

The nationwide portability of Ration Cards was rolled out on August 1, 2020 and was able to integrate 24 states/ UTs covering 65 crore beneficiaries. According to the finance minister, the One Nation One Ration scheme has already covered 86% of the beneficiaries.

See also: What is the e-Shram portal  and the e Shram card?

List of states implementing ONORC

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