At present, around 99.8% of ration cards have been seeded with Aadhaar for the rightful targeting of Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries in the country. The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan has already been implemented by all 36 States/UTs, across the country. Since its inception around 124 Crore portability transactions have been recorded under the ONORC plan, which includes both inter-State and intra-State transactions ensuring the food security of around 80 Crore beneficiaries in the country. ONORC plan is proving to be especially beneficial to the migrant labourers, internally displaced persons (IDPs) etc. who frequently change their place of dwelling in search of temporary employment. Under the plan, the beneficiaries are empowered to lift their entitled foodgrain from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice, anywhere in the country, by using their existing ration card/Aadhaar card with biometric authentication on an electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) device. ONORC also enables the family members of such migrant beneficiaries back home (in the village/hometown) to lift the part / balance foodgrains on the same ration card. ONORC has also facilitated the migrant beneficiaries/ family members to choose any FPS of their choice without being dependent on visiting only the tagged FPS in their ration cards. Such flexibility was not available earlier under the traditional PDS.  

Due to Aadhaar seeding and installation of ePoS devices at the FPSs, at present, around 97% transactions in the country are done in a transparent manner through biometric authentication by use of ePoS devices on a monthly basis.  This Department has extended the timeline given to the States/UTs, under the Notification dated 08/02/2017 (as amended from time to time) issued in exercise of Section-7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016, for completing the Aadhaar seeding of ration cards up to 31/03/2024. Until then, all States/UTs have been advised that no genuine beneficiary/household shall be deleted from the list of eligible ration cards/ beneficiaries and shall not be denied their entitled quota of foodgrains to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) beneficiaries only for want of Aadhaar number or only on the ground of not possessing an Aadhaar number, failure of biometric authentication due to network/ connectivity/ linking issues or any other technical reasons etc.

However, till the Aadhaar is assigned to the beneficiaries, either of the eight identification documents shall be used for identification purpose i.e. (Voter ID Card, PAN Card, Passport, Driving License, Certificate of Identity with photo issued by Gazetted Officer/Tahsildar on official letter head, Address card having Name and Photo issued by Department of Posts, Kisan Photo Passbook and any other document as specified by State/UT Governments).

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Ms. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply today in the Lok Sabha.

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