In a bid to curb corruption and dependence on one Public Distribution System (PDS) shop, the Central government will launch the ‘one nation, one ration card’ scheme.
The scheme, according to Union Minister of Consumer Affairs,Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan, will ensure that allbeneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from anyshop of their own choice.
The Minister asserted that the biggest beneficiary of thiswill be those migrant labourers who move to other states to seek better jobopportunities and will ensure their food security.
“This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as theywill not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop ownersand curtail instances of corruption,” the Ministry said in a statement.
It added that in the next two months, beneficiaries ofTelangana and Andhra Pradesh will be able to access the PDS shops. Theobjective of the department is to ensure that this is implemented nationally ina time bound manner.
At present, the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS) is asystem that is already operational in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana,Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripurawherein a beneficiary can avail his share of food grain from any district inthe state. Other states have also assured that IMPDS will be implemented at theearliest, the statement said. There will also be the creation of a CentralRepository of all RCs which will help in checking duplication.