87% ONORC beneficiaries were from UP, Bihar

New Delhi: Over 87 per cent One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) beneficiaries in Delhi in the last three months had ration cards of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, government data showed.

According to the data provided by the Food and Civil Supplies Department, between August and October 25, nearly 1,78,850 people having ration cards of other states have collected food grains in Delhi under the ONORC.

Of the 1,78,850 ONORC transactions, 1,55,715 or 87.06 per cent happened on ration cards issued in Bihar (78,195) and Uttar Pradesh (77,520), the data, accessed by the PTI, showed. The Delhi government implemented the ONORC scheme in the national capital in starting July this year.

Under the scheme, persons holding a ration card under the National Food Security Act can collect their monthly quota of food grain from any fair price shop across the country.

The portability depends on ePoS machines, which use the Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication to verify the identity and entitlement of beneficiaries. A senior official of the Food and Civil Supplies department said the scheme is a boon for migrant workers and other such floating population living in the national capital as they can get ration from any of the fair price shops.

"Maximum number of migrant population in Delhi is from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh hence that number is reflecting in the ONORC transactions in the city. ONORC beneficiaries in Delhi from states other than UP and Bihar include Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan among others," the official said.

Data showed that ration card-holders from Madhya Pradesh come at the third spot, followed by Haryana in terms of availing benefits of the ONORC scheme in Delhi. As many as 5,764 people having ration cards of Madhya Pradesh collected ration in Delhi under the ONORC scheme between August and October 25.

Similarly, nearly 2,313 people having ration cards made in Haryana collected food grains from fair price shops in Delhi during the period. It was followed by Rajasthan with 1,184 beneficiaries collecting ration in Delhi. Data also showed that between July and October 25, nearly 1,94,685 people, who have their ration cards made in other states, collected food grains in Delhi under ONORC scheme.

A good chunk of floating population has gone to their hometowns during the start of the festival season in October. So the number of transactions under ONORC looks

slightly low. We are hoping that more people will take

benefit of the ONORC scheme in Delhi in coming months, the official said.