From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Sep 19: Aadhaar Card numbers (UIDAI) will be linked to ration cards in districts where a high percentage of Aadhaar cards have been distributed to citizens shortly.

This was disclosed by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao in Bangalore while addressing a news conference on Thursday.

Tumkur, Mysore and Dharwad districts had already achieved high percentage Aadhaar cards to citizens, he said.

The ration cards would be linked to Aadhaar cards in the next couple of months, he said.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Chairman Nandan Nilekani has promised of issuing Aadhaar cards to all citizens in other districts by next year. 

The issue of linking ration cards with UID cards has been discussed with Nilekani, the minister said.

He said the government has taken decision to transfer subsidy component of kerosene to bank accounts of ration cards directly in districts where the Aadhaar cards had been distributed.

The card holders have to buy kerosene from ration cards at actual price and the subsidy of Rs 16.20 paise per litre would be transferred to bank accounts of consumer under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on the lines of subsidy on LPG.

The minister said the department was insisting persons who have applied for Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards to mentioning the Aadhaar card number in the application.

A total of 13 lakh applications for BPL cards mentioning Aadhaar Cards have been received so far, he added.