Indian Economy News

Over 77 crore portable transactions recorded in One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORC)

The Department of Food and Public Distribution is holding a week-long celebration to commemorate the "One Nation, One Ration Card" (ONORC) Scheme, which was introduced as a trial experiment in four states on August 9, 2019. ONORC is a technology-driven initiative being implemented by the Central Government under the National Food Security Act for the nationwide mobility of ration cards (NFSA). This method enables all NFSA beneficiaries, particularly migrant beneficiaries, to claim either the entire or a portion of their allocated food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the nation using their current ration card and biometric/Aadhaar identification. The scheme also permits their family members back home, if any, to claim the ration card's remaining foodgrains.

It has now been deployed in all 36 States/UTs throughout the country in a relatively short period of time from its commencement on August 9, 2019. Assam, the final state to join the plan, did so in June 2022, completing the plan's pan-India implementation. Food security is currently available across the country. The Scheme is the country's first Citizen Centric project. At the moment, the system covers nearly all (80 crore) NFSA beneficiaries (almost the entire NFSA population). Furthermore, the system records around three crore portability transactions every month on average. Since inception (in August 2019), about 77.88 Crore portable transactions have taken place under the ONORC. During the pandemic, 144 LMT of food grains were given, and a total subsidy of Rs. 43,000 crores (US$ 5.47 billion) was granted.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.