Paswan holds video conference with Food Ministers of States and UTs to discuss the roll out of One Nation One Ration Card scheme in remaining 14 states/UTs
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan held a meeting via video conference to review the progress of the implementation of National Portability of NFSA ration card holders through “One Nation One Ration Card” programme (ONOC).
The purpose of the meeting was to understand the readiness, action plans and a tentative timeline to implement the “One Nation One Ration Card” facility in these 14 States/UTs. Food Ministers of 5 States/UTs of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu attended the meeting, whereas other States/UTs were represented by respective Food Secretaries.
Paswan said that in the time of Covid-19 pandemic, the scheme proved immensely beneficial for migrant labourers, stranded and needy persons to access their quota of food grains through ONOC portability.
He said by August 2020 three more States namely – Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Manipur will be added to the national cluster and Department is making all necessary arrangements to include remaining all 14 States under ONOC by end of this year.
Paswan said that sufficient food grains are available in buffer stock and assured no one would go hungry in this difficult time of Covid-19 pandemic. Paswan meanwhile informed that around 10 States have written to the ministry to extend the distribution of free food grains under PMGKAY for three more months.
During the course of discussion, most of the remaining states/UTs shared their action plans and strategy to complete this activity by the end of September 2020, whereas 3 States – Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and West Bengal have indicated a tentative timeline for complete implementation before December 2020.