One Nation One Ration Card - Inter State Portability Scheme

Contents
  1. What Is The Inter-State Portability Scheme?
  2. HOW CAN YOU AVAIL ONE NATION ONE RATION CARD SCHEME?
  3. WHO WILL BENEFIT?
The Inter-State Portability Scheme under One Nation One Ration Card was launched on July 1, 2019, by the Food Ministry. The scheme is launched on a pilot basis in 2 pairs of states- Maharashtra-Gujarat and Telangana-Andra Pradesh. The scheme is a much-awaited, much-required launch for the country. Though it is launched for these 4 states, for now, the Food Ministry has assured that by June 2020, the scheme will be implemented in more than 11 states in India. Now, before we get into further details about the Inter-State Portability Scheme, let us first know what the scheme is about.

What Is The Inter-State Portability Scheme?

Like the One Nation, One Card scheme launched under the Ministry of Transport where you can use a single card for public transports including metro, buses, etc, the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme will allow you to use One Ration Card throughout any state in India. This means that, unlike buying you assigned a quota of subsidized ration from your permitter local Public Distribution Centre (PDS) or Ration Shop, you can use your Ration Card anywhere in India. Well, the basic concept of the scheme is supposed to be this. But, a scheme as big as this cannot be implemented in one go. That’s why the Food Ministry has decided to start the scheme on a pilot basis for a few states first. On July 1, 2019, the scheme was launched in Telangana- Andra Pradesh and Gujarat-Maharashtra. This would mean that beneficiaries in Telangana would be allowed to buy their ration from PDS in Andra Pradesh and vice-versa, and the same goes for Gujarat and Maharashtra. The step taken by the Food Ministry can prove to be a great achievement and a major relief for people in these states. The scheme was implemented taking into notice the migrant workers in these states. People who travel to different states in search of work and making sure that no one is deprived of their right to food under any circumstance. There are seven other states where the Intra-Portability Scheme has been implemented. This means that, rather than collecting ration from only the assigned PDS, beneficiaries can use their Ration Card in any PDS within the state. This scheme is successfully been implemented in Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, and Punjab. Soon, these states will have the Inter-State Portability Scheme as well.

HOW CAN YOU AVAIL ONE NATION ONE RATION CARD SCHEME?

The process is minimal and would only require you to have your Aadhar Card linked to your Ration Card. This would be proof of your place of residence and ensure that you are a beneficiary under the said scheme. The Point of Sale (PoS) machines will be used by all these states which are given a one-year extension to implement this scheme. 

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

For there should be no one that is deprived of their right to food, the Food Ministry is set to implement this throughout the country. The pilot basis of the Inter-State Portability Scheme launched by the Food Ministry ensures the same. There are hundreds of lakhs of people who are migrant workers in different states. These workers move from one city to another in search of job opportunities and work. These people, though being a beneficiary of subsidized food grains, are not able to access their own rights. One Nation One Ration Card Scheme provides that no person is left behind. People from one state can use their Ration Card to avail of their subsidized food grains in another state. Although, the scheme has only been implemented in 4 states, it will soon be launched across India. This will ensure that any person from any state can access their quota of subsidized food, leaving no one behind.