20 September 2013
There is a possibility that the government might link Aadhaar numbers with ration cards. It will be done in districts where ration cards have been distributed to all the citizens, stated Dinesh Gundu Rao, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister.
According to a report in The New Indian Express, districts like Tumkur, Mysore and Dharwad have completed the Aadhaar process. People in other districts of Karnataka will receive their Aadhaar cards by the end of next year.
The issue of linking the two cards has already been discussed with Nandan Nilekani, head, unique identification authority of India (UIDAI). Quoted in the article, Nilekani said, “Ultimately, our goal is to link ration cards with Aadhaar cards.”
Rao added that the subsidies for kerosene will be transferred to the bank accounts of the ration card holders, in the districts where the Aadhaar cards have been distributed.
Under the direct benefits transfer (DBT) scheme, consumers have been told to buy kerosene at the actual market price. The subsidy amount of Rs 16.20 paise per litre will then be directly transferred to their accounts.
Rao pointed out that under the National Food Security Act, a bank account should be opened in the name of the woman in each family.
A circular has been issued to the department, asking them to encourage applicants applying for Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards to mention their Aadhaar card numbers in their applications. The same will apply to current ration card holders, wherein they will be asked to furnish the details of their Aadhaar card number.
“This is not being done to stop ration supply to consumers, but only to link ration cards with Aadhaar,” Rao clarified.