Centre makes Aadhaar card mandatory for availing foodgrain under PDS

Beneficiaries without an Aadhaar id will have to enrol themselves by June this year

The central government said an Aadhaar (unique citizen identification) number would be mandatory for taking foodgrain through the Public Distribution System (PDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and also for cash transfers in lieu of the food subsidy under it.
 
According to the Aadhaar Act, producing the document for identification is compulsory for any transfers made from the Consolidated Fund of India, stated the food ministry on Thursday. The subsidy in NFSA is drawn from the Consolidated Fund.
 
Those who don’t have an Aadhaar numbers will continue to get their monthly ration quota if they provide proof of having applied for it, along with a supporting document for identification such as Voter ID Card, PAN, passport, driving licence, etc. Such persons have to necessarily apply for Aadhaar enrolment by June 31.
 
However, families will continue to get foodgrain at subsidised rates for the entire household even if one member has an Aadhaar number for identifitication.
 
The formal notification became applicable from Wednesday in all places except Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir. It will also be applicable for all new beneficiaries identified under the NFSA.
 
“Aadhaar obviates the need for producing multiple documents to prove one’s identity and its use as identity document for delivery of benefits simplifies government delivery processes and brings in transparency,” Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a tweet.
 
The government statement specified that an Aadhaar request could also be made by giving name, address, mobile number, ration card number and other details with the ration shop owner or through the web portal provided for the purpose by state and central governments.
 
The government statement also directed all states to mandatorily link the Aadhaar number of a beneficiary with the ration card or with the bank account for cash transfer of the food subsidy, within 30 days after getting it.
 
States have been told to give this development wide publicity and to enrol all beneficiaries by end-June.
Under the NFSA, the Centre is legally mandated to supply subsidised foodgrain to a little over 80 per cent of the population — wheat at Rs 2 a kg, rice at Rs 3 a kg and coarse grain at Rs 1 a kg.
 
In 2017-18, the Centre has estimated a food subsidy Budget of Rs 1,45,338 crore, almost eight per cent more than the Revised Estimates for 2016-17.