Extra sheet in ration cards fails to evoke smart response from public

It may be recalled that food minister R Kamaraj recently stated that full Aadhar details were provided for smart cards by only 92.51 lakhs card holders amounting to 49 % of the 1.96 crore card holders in Tamil Nadu. Another 87.32 lakhs provided partial details while 10.50 lakhs had not provided details at all. 

“The field enumeration is meant to check such defaulters and encourage them to provide details soon” officials added. Affixing additional sheets to existing ration cards underway for the past four days has resulted in many beneficiaries not being interested in divulging Aadhar details as the additional sheets are valid for one more year. 

FPS (Fair Price Shop) salesmen lamented that “even people who were willing to provide Aadhar details are now keeping away following additional sheets being issued.” Paneerselvam of Royapettah said “What is the hurry for Aadhar details when the High Court has said that it is not mandatory. Officials also know this, that is why they have given additional sheets with a year’s validity.” 

In contrast to Aadhar input gathering, affixing additional sheets has drawn good response with some shops covering 30 per cent of their consumers within three days. Two shops on Dr Natesan road in Triplicane with 1500 and 1100 consumers revealed that more than 300 have completed this exercise. 

Similarly, in Lloyds colony in Royapettah two shops with about 1100 consumers each had completed 300 cards plus till Tuesday. “Smart cards can be given to consumers only after Aadhar details are provided to FPS and are digitalised. The cards would then be sent to concerned FPS and then handed over to individual consumers,” said the officials.