Bengaluru: Are you one of those waiting for a quite long time to get an Above Poverty Line (APL) ration card? If so, you need not worry. You will be able to get the APL ration card within a few days of applying for it.
Getting an APL ration card could just be a click away at the street corner cyber centres by producing your Aadhaar card. The Food and Civil Supplies Department, in a major initiative to make distribution of ration cards more people-friendly, is all set to introduce the new system from January first week.
Instead of producing multiple documents, just your Adhaar card would be enough to apply for the APL ration card online through the Cyber Centres which are registered with the department. “The applicants would be able to get a print out of their temporary APL ration card instantly and get the permanent card delivered to their door step within 5 days. The applicants would be charged a fee of Rs. 100,” said Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader.
The software and other systems to launch the programme is getting final touches and the representatives of the registered Cyber centres under the programme would be trained for the same. “The process for issuing below poverty line (BPL) ration cards too would be simplified on similar lines later,” the minister said.
The food and civil supplies department is also bringing changes in its ration coupon system to make it more convenient for the consumers. “A pilot programme would be launched in January or February to issue cash coupons instead of ration coupons which could be used to purchase ration from even designated retail stores apart from the usual fair price shops,” the minister said.
The programme will be launched in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mangaluru to start with and then extended to other parts of the state in phases.
“Considering the need for proteins in the diet, dal too would be distributed though Pubic Distribution System (PDS) shops at a maximum price of Rs. 30 per kg from January,’’ he said.
