The Central government’s conditional lending to states has begun bringing rewards to the public. The Centre had asked states to carry out reforms in the sectors crucial for service delivery to the citizens, as a precondition for more borrowings. One of the sectors identified for reforms was the Public Distribution System. Out of the more borrowing limit of 2 per cent of GSDP, .25 per cent was linked to the implementation of “One Nation One Ration Card system”. So far, nine states have effectively completed reforms in PDS and implemented the One Nation One Ration System, according to the Ministry of Finance.
This reform was aimed to assure that the beneficiaries below the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, specifically the migrant workers and their households, get ration from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the nation. Other aims of the reform had been to greater target beneficiaries, remove bogus, duplicate, and ineligible ration cards, and therefore boost the welfare and lower leakage. For this, Aadhar seeding of all ration cards, biometric authentication of beneficiaries, and automation of all FPS had been produced mandatory.
Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh are the states that effectively rolled out the PDS reform. On completion of reforms, more borrowing permission of Rs 23,523 crore has also been issued to these states, the finance ministry added. It is to be noted that the Department of Food and Public Distribution is the Nodal Department to certify that a state has met the situations stipulated for this reform. The deadline for the states to total the reforms is 31 December 2020 and it is anticipated that several additional states will total this reform just before the stipulated date.
In addition to the One Nation One Ration Card, other reforms specified as a pre-situation to avail more borrowing are ease of performing company reform, urban nearby body/ utility reforms, and energy sector reforms. The states are taking measures to bring the above reforms as properly, which are straight intended to advantage the typical individuals.