Centre begins One Nation One Ration Card facility in 12 states

New Delhi: The Central government has commenced One Nation One Ration Card facility in as many as 12 states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Tripura from Wednesday (January 1, 2020).

The beneficiaries of the public distribution system of these 12 states will now be able to get their share of ration from their current ration card while residing in any of these states. By June 2020, all the states of the country will be connected with the One Nation One Ration Card facility.

Under this provision, a standard format of the new Ration Card is being provided asking the states to emulate the new format, which will be launched from June 1, 2020. The ration cards issued by different states and union territories will have a similar standard format. 

On the basis of the old card, beneficiaries of the public distribution system will be able to get a new ration card.

The facility would be made available after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan had told the Lok Sabha on December 3, 2019.

Paswan had also informed the House that the facility of inter-state portability under the 'One Nation One Ration Card' would be available only through the FPSs having fully online ePoS devices.