Odisha to Implement 'One Nation, One Ration Card' on Pilot Basis from September 1

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday said it will implement the Centre's 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme on a pilot basis in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction from September 1.

Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister RP Swain told about the decision to reporters here. "We have decided to implement the central government's 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme on a pilot basis in Bhubaneswar," he said. Swain said the scheme will be extended to other parts of the state in a phased manner.

"Beneficiaries can collect their rations from anywhere like using ATM cards to draw money," the minister said. The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department has directed the Khurda district administration to implement the scheme in 127 fair price shops in 67 wards of the BMC from September 1, officials said.

Beneficiaries collecting ration under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme can avail the facility of portability of ration cards offered by the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme, they said.

However, beneficiaries will have to link their ration cards with Aadhaar numbers to avail the facility. The beneficiaries will have to give their finger prints on a machine to avail rations, the officials said.

Those who do not link their Aadhaar numbers with the ration cards will not get their rations, they said. The state government has set the deadline for linking Aadhaar number with the ration cards till August 31. At present, the beneficiaries covered under NFSA and State Food Security Scheme get five kg subsidised foodgrains per head every month.

The state government has also rolled out a pilot project in Malkangiri district to supply fortified rice grains containing iron, folic acid, Vitamin A and Vitamin B12 to reduce malnutrition among the PDS beneficiaries. Though 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme will be implemented across the country from June, 2020, several states have already started testing intra-state portability of ration cards on a pilot basis.

Inter-state portability of ration cards between Telangana-Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra-Gujarat was launched by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan earlier this month.