Ration card portability scheme: States asked to send proposals for additional funds by February 15

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday asked state governments to submit their proposals seeking additional funds for the ration card portability scheme, called 'One Nation-One Ration Card' (ONORC), by February 15. Under the ONORC plan, beneficiaries can lift their entitled foodgrains from any electronic point of sale device (ePoS)-enabled fair price shops of their choice by using their existing ration cards with biometric authentication.

Currently, this system is enabled in 32 states and Union Territories covering about 69 crore beneficiaries.

According to an official statement, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey on Monday reviewed the progress of ONORC with state governments through video conference.


In the meeting, the secretary asked the states to deepen the progress about installation of ePoS devices, Aadhaar seeding of all beneficiaries, biometric authentication of public distribution system (PDS) transactions and portability transactions (both inter-state and intra-state), it said.

He also reviewed the progress of on-ground implementation and awareness plans-cum-communication strategies of states. He also reviewed the status of their proposals to claim the additional borrowing of 0.25 per cent of gross state domestic product (GSDP) against the state-specific reform i.e. implementation of ONORC plan.

"The secretary requested all concerned states and Union Territories to submit their requisite proposal towards additional borrowing under ONORC to this department by February 15, 2021," the statement added.

The government said ONORC is an ambitious plan of the government to introduce the nationwide portability of ration cards under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). This aims to empower all migrant beneficiaries to seamlessly access their NFSA foodgrains anywhere in the country.