Bhubaneswar: After failing to achieve 100 per cent Aadhaar seeding with ration cards, the state government has extended the deadline for Aadhaar linking by 15 days.
The government had earlier set August 31 as the deadline for linking of Aadhaar number with ration card given under National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Speaking to reporters here, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said out of 3.26 crore beneficiaries under NFSA, 97.7 per cent families have linked Aadhaar with ration cards while it is 93.5 per cent when it comes to individual seeding.
“For the beneficiaries, who have not done Aadhaar seeding, we are allowing them a last chance to show their ration card at our government fair price retail outlets where immediately the seeding will be done and the beneficiaries will be distributed ration. They are allowed to link their Aadhaar with ration cards by September 15,” he said.
From September 1, ration distribution will start in the entire state. The beneficiaries can collect their ration for two months at a time from their fair price shops, the minister said.
The ration card holders, who are terminally ill, extremely old, unable to move outside their homes and unable to go for Aadhaar linking will not be deprived of getting the benefits, he assured.
“We have directed our officials concerned to certify that they are genuine people and we have assured to provide them with the ration immediately under the Food Security Act even if their cards are without Aadhaar link,” Swain said.
Paddy procurement
The minister, who also holds the Cooperation portfolio, said, the deadline for registration of farmers to participate in the paddy procurement process for ongoing kharif season has also been extended. Now, the interested farmers can register their names till September 10, he added.
Meanwhile, the government is all set to implement One Nation One Ration system in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area from Sunday on pilot basis.
Now, beneficiaries covered under the NFSA and the State Food Security Scheme can avail their ration like rice, wheat and kerosene oil from any fair price shop of BMC area as per his/her convenience. The system will be introduced in 127 fair price shops functioning in 67 wards of BMC, sources said.
Details of the beneficiaries have been linked to EPoS with the support of NIC.
Thus, by giving their fringe prints, they will avail their entitlements from any subsidised shop within the city.
As the ration cards have been linked to Aadhaar number, the ration card holder cannot avail food grains from two shops as all will be monitored online.
However, the beneficiaries, who cannot enrol themselves in Aadhaar due to physical problem, they will continue to get the benefits by producing certificates issued by the marketing inspector.
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