Lok Sabha Question No. 2951 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-20
Subject: Seeding of Ration Cards to Aadhaar
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Achyutananda Samanta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2951

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20TH DECEMBER, 2023

## SEEDING OF RATION CARDS TO AADHAAR

## 2951.  SHRI ACHYUTANANDA SAMANTA:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD  AND PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION w+ten wi+,  @ra at  m&rfqq f+aar ++ be pleased to state:

- (a) the percentage of ration cards which have been seeded to Aadhaar cards under the  Public Distribution System along with  the details and timeline  of the One Nation  One Ration Card Scheme;
- (b) whether in the absence of 100% linkage, at least for one member of each household, genuine beneficiaries  are being excluded,  if so, the steps
- being taken by the Government to ensure reduction of such exclusions;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the  details of  the  steps being  taken by  the  Government to  ensure that at least valid beneficiaries do not miss out on rations due to technical problems of authentication at the PoS machines?

## ANSWER INISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIC  DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a):  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 intraState 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.

- (b) to (d): 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 31/03/2024H 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).

8888