By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 13, 2021: PUNJAB has become the 13th State in the country to successfully undertake 'One Nation One Ration Card' (ONORC) system reform stipulated by the Ministry of Finance and received additional borrowing permission of Rs. 1,516 crore on Saturday.

It has joined 12 other States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, who have completed this reform.

"On completion of One Nation One Ration Card system reform, these 13 States have been granted additional borrowing permission of Rs. 34,956 crore by the Department of Expenditure," said an official statement.

The ONORC is a citizen-centric reform introducing nationwide portability of ration cards and empowering migratory workers and labourers to seamlessly access their foodgrain and benefits from anywhere in the country.

It enables States in better targeting beneficiaries and eliminating bogus or ineligible ration card holders, thereby reducing leakage. To ensure seamless inter-State portability, Aadhar seeding of all ration cards as well as biometric authentication of beneficiaries through automation of all Fair Price Shops (FPSs) with installation of electronic point of sale (e-PoS) devices are essential.

To meet the resource challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, in May, 2020 the government enhanced the borrowing limit of the States by 2 per cent and linked half the dispensation to them undertaking citizen-centric reforms in the ONORC system, ease of doing business, urban local body and the power sector.

Till now, 17 States have carried out at least one of the four stipulated reforms and have been granted reform linked borrowing permissions of Rs. 76,512 crore so far.