Chennai
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution announced recently that the government has achieved an important milestone by digitising 99.9% of the ration cards in the country.
This milestone brings the implementation of the smart card system one step closer to realisation. The announcement regarding the 99.9% digitisation of ration cards is a prelude to the smart ration card system that is set to replace the archaic public distribution system in the country.
“The state government has already allotted funds to the tune of Rs 318 crore for this system and now we are inching closer to implement smart ration cards as digitisation of ration cards is almost over,” a senior official in Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department told DT Next.
Informing that though many in the state expect the new system to be rolled out soon, he said the system can be launched only when digitisation of ration cards, seeding (linking) the ration cards with Aadhar is completed.
“A major task has been completed by achieving digitisation and we are half way through in seeding the ration cards with Aadhar,” he said and added that the new system will be well within reach after the ration cards are seeded with the mobile number of the card holders. All ration card holders in TN have been asked to submit an Aadhar inclusion form along with the copy of Aadhar to facilitate this. Linking Aadhar with ration cards will help officials eliminate bogus ration cards.
The PDS in Tamil Nadu came under criticism in 2012 after a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report revealed the number of persons with ration cards in the state far exceeds the state’s population. “But now the situation is different as we have eliminated bogus cards by door to door verification and the seeding will help in complete elimination of such cards,” he added.
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