'One Nation One Ration Card' by March 2021: FM announces new plan for easy access to food grains

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced that the government plans to implement 'One Nation One Ration Card' by March 2021 to provide easy access of ration to migrants. She announced that the government is coming up with the National Portability Cards (One Nation One Ration Card) which can be used in any ration shop in any part of the country as migrants move from state to state.  

This will be implemented by August for 67 crore beneficiary (83% of the entire PDS population). The entire PDS population will be on the system by March 2021, the finance minister said. This initiative is a technology-driven system, as announced as a pillar of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (India self-reliant campaign), by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

The finance minister also announced that all the migrant labourers will be provided 5 kgs/person of wheat or rice and 1 kg/family of channa for two months. The benefit has also been extended for non-PDS card holders. This will be done through the states, which are aware where the migrant workers are currently staying.  

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The government believes that the move will benefit at least 8 crore migrants. This intervention will cost the exchequer Rs 3,500 crore, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman. 

The government on Wednesday announced about Rs 6 lakh crore package, including Rs 3 lakh crore of collateral-free loans for small businesses and a Rs 30,000 crore lifeline to non-bank and housing finance companies as part of measures to help the economy tide over disruptions caused by the coronavirus lockdown.

Also, it cut the tax rate on non-salary payments by 25 per cent, extended support to companies to meet statutory liability on employees' retirement fund, provided a Rs 90,000 crore bailout to cash-starved electricity distribution companies and gave construction firms up to six more months to complete the government projects.