- The central government’s ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’system, under which beneficiaries can buy subsidised food grains from ration shops in any part of the country, will be implemented on January 15, 2020.
- The initiative will come into effect initially in 12 states, and then gradually to the rest of the country.
- In its initial stage, the scheme is being implemented in 12 states Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Jharkhand.
- Earlier, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan had on December 3 announced that the ‘one nation, one ration card’ system will be “implemented without fail in the entire country” by June 30, 2020.
- The new mechanism will ensure no poor is deprived of PDS entitlement if that person shifts from one place to another. The system will also help remove fake ration cardholders.
