Tamil Nadu launches 'One Nation, One Ration Card' plan, joins nation-wide portability

Facilitating inter and intra state portability, Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday launched the "One Nation One Ration Card Scheme" allowing beneficiaries to receive essential commodities from Public Distribution Outlets anywhere in Tamil Nadu and in other states that have already been integrated under the plan.

Marking the launch of the scheme, which is operational effective Thursday in as many as 32 districts including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengelpet and Tiruvallur, Palaniswami gave away commodities to three card holders at the state secretariat. From October 16, six other districts including Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Madurai covering the entire state, an official release here said.

With the implementation of the plan, Tamil Nadu card holders, on migration to states connected to the scheme could get food grains as per their entitlement under the NFSA and similarly, those coming to Tamil Nadu would be able to get commodities at the Central issue price. Biometric authentication is required for availing the benefits under the plan.

Card holders of Tamil Nadu, who could not carry out biometric based authentication may receive commodities by receiving One Time Password in their registered mobile phones or by scanning Aadhar or existing smart cards, the government said. If elderly people or beneficiaries who could not be present at the PDS outlets to get entitlements, they may receive commodities by sending their authorised representatives to shops.

The One Nation One Ration Card Scheme facilitates delivery of subsidised food grains to all National Food Security Act beneficiaries. It is operational in 22 states including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and the entire nation is expected to be connected under the plan by March 2021, according to the Centre.

The Public Distribution System in Tamil Nadu was computerised at a cost of Rs 330 crore and the state subsequently rolled out 'Smart Cards" (integrated with Aaadhar) to ration card holders in 2017.

Also, the Centre's Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) was implemented which enables migratory ration card holders to receive food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) located anywhere in the country by using their ration card issued in their home states or union territories after biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPS.

Minister for Co-operation, Sellur K Raju, Food Minister R Kamaraj, Chief Secretary K Shanmugam and senior state officials participated in the scheme's launch.