Get your APL card online by just feeding Aadhaar number

State to seek bigger supply of pulses from Central government

The Karnataka government will soon roll out an online system for issuing ration cards for Above Poverty Line (APL) families.

Disclosing this to the media, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said citizens will be able to generate their own ration cards after filling an online form. Only Aadhaar number has to be disclosed and there is no need for any other documents under the new system, he added.

The department is still working on the new system, and it will in, all probability, be introduced in a month’s time. Currently, the department is supplying five kg rice and wheat each at a subsidised rate to the APL card holders every month.

On a proposal to supply tur dal and urad dal at Rs 120 per kg to people, the minister said the Centre has not allocated sufficient quantity of these pulses to the state.

The state has been given 1,000 metric tonnes.

“An estimated 10,500 metric tonnes is required per month to supply one kg of tur and urad dal per ration card under the public distribution system (PDS). We will take up the offer if the Centre allocates at least 5,000 metric tonnes per month,” he added.

The Centre recently offered to supply unmilled tur and urad dal to the state at Rs 66 and Rs 82 per kg respectively and asked to ensure availability of the pulses to people at not more than Rs 120 per kg. The Centre made this offer with an aim to give some relief to people from rising prices of pulses.

The state has to bear the cost of processing (milling), packing and transportation and distribute to consumers at Rs 120 per kg.

Rao said he will soon meet Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramvilas Paswan and urge him to increase the allocation to the state.