Bangalore: Shobha's New Initiative - Apply Online for Ration Cards

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 18: With at least 30 lakh out of the total of 1.67 ration cards in Karnataka believed to be bogus, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shobha Karandlaje has come out with a new initiative to weed out bogus ration cards and to facilitate the issue of new cards to eligible families in rural and urban areas in the State.

Under the latest initiative announced by the minister, all those who do not have either above poverty line (APL) or below poverty line (BPL) ration cards can submit ''online'' applications starting from Saturday November 19.

She said the Government has made arrangements for submission of online applications all over the State.

While people living in urban areas can submit applications through private internet facility by accessing the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department website http://ahara.kar.nic.in, those without ration cards in urban areas can apply “online” and in rural areas it can be submitted “online” through panchayat offices.

All the applications registration will have to be through online, she said.

The minister reiterated that all the bogus cards would be cancelled after a thorough exercise to weed them out.

In order to identify ineligible ration cards in urban areas, the cards have been linked to electricity meter RR numbers of the houses in which beneficiaries reside.

In rural areas, the government is making use of the computer data base of the panchayats and the cards have been linked to property tax numbers of the houses, she said.

APL Families Don't Lift Foodgrains

Karandlaje said non-lifting of foodgrains by a large number of APL families led to black marketing and diversion of food items supplied under the public distribution system.

Out of the total of 1.67 crore ration cards existing in the State, she said 1.06 crore cards are obtained by BPL families and 50 lakh by APL families. There are about 11 lakh Antyodaya cards in the State.

APL families are eligible for 11 kg of rice and a kg of wheat every month at a price of Rs. 9.40 a kg of rice and Rs. 7.20 for a kg of wheat.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department officials explained that APL families declined to lift their monthly quota of rations citing the quality of grains was inferior. There would not be any black marketing and diversion of foodgrains if all ration card holders lift their monthly quota, the officials maintained.

Noting that existence of nearly 35 lakh bogus ration cards causing financial burden on the State exchequer, the officials said the Government spent Rs. 60 crore a month towards supplying rations at subsidised prices.

In rural areas, a total of 1.13 crore cards have been issued but 83.52 lakh cards match with various documents given by the families.

A total of 53.45 lakh ration cardes have been issued and 11.98 lakh cards have been cancelled during the verification process, the officials said.