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Your neighbourhood ration shop where you see people queuing up for daily needs might soon transform into a banking transaction centre. Thanks to the centre’s initiative to turn all six lakh ration shops into business correspondents or bank mitras. 
 
"Already around four lakh fair price shops have enrolled as business correspondents. Owning to their strategic location and high footfall, we are hopeful that they can emerge as focal points for all banking transactions, including remittances,” a government official, requesting anonymity, told The Economic Times. 
 
 
"Unless interbank transactions increase, these fair price shops will not be able to serve their purpose. The idea is that the cardholder of any bank can walk into a ration shop and deposit or withdraw money”, another official, aware of the deliberations, told the ET. 
 
A task force on the promotion of payments through cards and digital, set up under Department of Investment &amp; Public Asset Management (DIPAM) secretary Neeraj Gupta, is also looking into the issue, the official quoted above added. 
 
Aadhaar-Enabled Payment System (AEPS) will allow online financial transactions using Aadhar credentials. The government has already announced its plans to install electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at all fair price shops across the country by March 2017 to plug leakages. 
 
"The government intends to achieve a target of installing three lakh such devices to computerise fair price shops by March 2017. The aim is to fully computerise all 5.35 lakh fair price shops by March 2019 by installing such ePoS devices,” Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told the Rajya Sabha recently. 
 
According to latest government data, around 25 crore accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) with balance of around Rs 44,480 crore. Of this, around 13 crore accounts have been seeded with Aadhaar and only 23% accounts have zero balance.

​ Ration shops in the country would be used for all banking transactions

New Delhi, Feb 7 () The government on Friday informed Rajya Sabha that the 'one nation, one ration card' scheme will be made applicable across the country barring some northeastern states from June 1. The 'one nation, one ration card' scheme allows a beneficiary to avail subsidised ration anywhere in the country, provided the ration card is linked to Aadhaar and there are 100 per cent POS machines installed at ration shops. Food Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the scheme has been available in 12 states -- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Tripura, Goa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh -- since January 1. Paswan said there would be no need to procure new ration cards under the scheme and added rumours spread in this regard were being dealt with strongly by the department. If need, such cases could be handed over to the CBI, he said. The minister said states that will complete required formalities would come under the scheme and it is the duty of state governments to ensure ration cards are linked to Aadhaar and POS machines are installed at all ration shops. "I urge all state governments to do this by June this year so that the scheme can be made applicable across the country from June 1," he said. He said the scheme will be applicable through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative. SKC SMN

'One nation, one ration card' scheme will be made applicable across country from June: Paswan

New Delhi, Dec 20 () No new ration card will be required for availing the portability benefit under the government's ambitious 'one nation, one ration card' initiative to be rolled out across the country from June 2020, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday.
Currently, the initiative is being implemented on a pilot basis. Inter-state as well as state level portability is being tried in a cluster approach. The government's aim is to implement the initiative across India from June 1, next year.
Under the initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled foodgrain under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any Fair Price Shop in the country using the same ration card.
Paswan, who reviewed the implementation of the initiative, said, "There were reports in some newspapers that new ration cards will be needed for this scheme. It is baseless. No new ration card (is) required. Existing card will be valid pan India".
Beneficiaries will avail subsidised foodgrain using their existing ration card by biometric authentication on electronic point of sale (ePoS) machines, he said in a series of tweets.
The minister said the state level portability of ration card is fully operational in 12 States and partially in four states.
The 'state-level portability' allows the ration card holders to lift their foodgrain from any ePoS enabled fair price shops (FPS) within their district or state.
Whereas 'inter-state portability' is operational in eight states in clusters of two-adjoining states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; Gujarat and Maharashtra; Haryana and Rajasthan and Karnataka and Kerala, the minister added.
"Four more states Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and Tripura will be clubbed with these 8 states from January 1, 2020 to make one cluster," Paswan said.
He said the beneficiaries from all these 12 states will be able to lift their entitled foodgrain from any FPS of these 12 states.
Paswan said the e-biometric authentication of beneficiaries and state-level portability is essential for distribution of foodgrain under the 'One Nation One Ration Card' scheme.
However, Tamil Nadu and Delhi governments are not using ePoS devices in ration shops. Assam government has not taken any initiative so far to install ePoS devices, he said.
In Tamil Nadu, the use of ePoS devices in 34,700 FPSs has not started despite achieving 100 per cent Aadhaar seeding in ration cards.
In Delhi, the use of ePoS devices remain suspended since April 2018 despite implementation of 100 per cent bio-metric based distribution through ePoS in all its FPSs.
Whereas the Assam government has not yet taken any initiation so far towards the installation of ePoS devices in 38,300 FPSs even after continuous persuasion by the department, he added.
Under the NFSA, about 75 crore beneficiaries have been covered so far against the target of 81.35 crore, as per official data. LUX BAL

No new ration card needed for inter-state portability: Paswan

The <keyword id="3009827" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajasthan-State-Food-Civil-Supplies-Corp">Rajasthan State Food &amp; Civil Supplies Corp</keyword> (RSFCSC) and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Future+Group+">Future Group</a> will sign an agreement today that will assign <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kishore+Biyani">Kishore </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kishore+Biyani">Biyani</a>'s led company to manage the overall public distribution system (PDS) and ration shops in the state. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Rajasthan+Chief+Minister+Vasundhara+Raje+">Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje</a> is expected to be present at the time of signing the deal. 
 
The alliance will substantially enlarge the product portfolio of the ration shops and allow the state government to provide a wide range of household items at cheap prices, reported the Economic Times. 
 
India's largest retailer, on its part, will gain access to 5,000 outlets across the state to sell its private label products and if successful, it can replicate this model in other states as well. 
 
Under the agreement, the PDS and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ration+shops+">ration shops</a> will undergo a facelift and be rebranded as Annapurna Bhandar. 
 "The corporation had issued open tender and <keyword id="44949" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Future-group">Future Group</keyword> was the successful bidder. Future Group will supply products to our 5,000 outlets in phases," said Mahavir Prasad Sharma, MD, RSFCSC. 
 
At present, the PDS stores stock limited products such as wheat, sugar and kerosene. Annapurna Bhandar will have an expanded product portfolio and sell Future's own brand of food products, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FMCG+">FMCG</a> items and other household products whose prices will be determined by the state government. 
 
"Prices will obviously be lower than the market price. That's why Biyani's private labels will work here," said a person familiar with the development. 
 
A state government official said the PDS stores will also start home delivery of grocery items. The group currently operates KB Fair Price, a striped down chain of discount stores. 
 
The person familiar with the development said in normal course, PDS stores would see heightened activity for the first week of the month when people visit these shops to stock up on the monthly quota of provisions. 
 
The idea behind forging the alliance with Future Group is to keep the stores buzzing throughout the month by stocking a gamut of daily-need grocery items at low prices," the person said. 
 Future Group operates around 500 large and small supermarkets nationwide and its various formats include the <keyword id="6357823" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Big-Bazaar">Big Bazaar</keyword> hypermarket chain and Central department store. In May this year, it acquired <keyword id="117289" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bharti-Retail">Bharti Retail</keyword> in an all-stock deal. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Now buy Future Group branded products at Rajasthan’s ration shops!

New Delhi, Mar 23 () The Centre on Monday allowed states and Union Territories to lift foodgrains for three months in advance from Food Corporation of India (FCI) for distribution through ration shops in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. There are about 75 crore beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS). "To ensure adequate supply of foodgrains to the public and financially assist the state govts, Department of Expenditure, has agreed to the Food and Public Distribution Department's proposal that foodgrain for 3 months can be lifted by States/ UTs on credit from FCI," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a tweet. As of now, the government has surplus foodgrains of 435 lakh tonnes, out of which 272.19 lakh tonnes are rice and 162.79 lakh tonnes are wheat, as per the government data. At present, the government supplies 5 kilograms of subsidised foodgrains per month to each beneficiary under the PDS through 5,00,000 ration shops in the country. This costs the exchequer about Rs 1.4 lakh crore annually. Foodgrains via ration shops are supplied at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 3/kg for rice, Rs 2/kg for wheat and Rs 1/kg for coarse grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). LUX RAM

States can lift PDS grains for three months on credit: FM

The government is planning to convert local grocery shops and kirana stores into micro ATMs. In this regard, over five lakh fair price shops in India will be equipped with electronic point of sale (ePOS) machines and function as micro ATMs in two years. 
 
The Department of Financial Services (DoFS) has urged states to facilitate fair price shops and public distribution shops to double up as micro ATMs. 
 
The ePOS machines once made compatible to function as micro ATMs will enable people to withdraw money from their accounts against swiping of their debit cards. 
 Already, almost 1.6 lakh fair price shops, out of a total of over 5.4 lakh, have been fitted with ePOS machines that enable shops to give out subsidised rations in an automated way through <keyword id="3869489" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aadhaar-biometric-authentication-">Aadhaar biometric authentication.</keyword> 
 
"The subsidised ration shop in the village is the biggest point of interaction with the villagers as they frequent it. Hence, the decision has been taken to reconfigure the ePOS machines already installed in the 1.6 lakh fair price shops to make them micro ATM complaint and tell states to procure micro ATM compatible machines in future for rest of 3.8 lakh fair price shops,” a senior government official told ET. 
 
Presently, the Indian government has asked banks to deploy micro ATMs in rural areas. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Your nearby grocery shop is going to become a micro ATM soon

New Delhi, Jan 31 () There is a need to address the rising food subsidy bill, and the government needs to "revisit" the subsidised rates at which foodgrains are distributed through ration shops, the Economic Survey said on Friday.
 Foodgrains via ration shops are supplied at highly subsidised rates of Rs 3 per kg for rice, Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 1 per kg for coarse grains through Public Distribution System (PDS) as per the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
 "With a large share of poor people, maintaining food security is still a challenge. The rates fixed under the NFSA initially for a period of three years have not been revised since 2013, resulting in burgeoning food subsidy. The rates under NFSA and the coverage need to be revisited," the Survey said.
 The food subsidy bill has increased from Rs 1,13,171.2 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1,71,127.5 crore in 2018-19, it said adding that the reasons for widening of the food subsidy have been many.
 While the economic cost has increased, the central issue price (the rate at which grains are sold in ration shops) for NFSA beneficiaries has not been revised from Rs 200 per quintal in case of wheat and Rs 300 per quintal in the case of rice.
 The acquisition and distribution costs of foodgrains for the central pool together constitute the economic cost. The difference between the per-quintal economic cost and the per-quintal Central Issue Price (CIP) gives the quantum of food subsidy.
 "While the interests of the vulnerable sections of the population need to be safeguarded, for sustainability of food security operations, the issue of burgeoning food subsidy bill needs to be addressed," the Survey added.
 The NFSA has been implemented in all states and Union territories. However, in Chandigarh, Puducherry and urban areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the NFSA is being implemented in cash transfer mode, under which food subsidy is being transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries who then have a choice to buy foodgrains from open market.
 During the financial year 2019-20, the government allocated 603.88 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to states and UTs under the NFSA and other welfare schemes as on December 2019.
 Under the NFSA, the government supplies 5 kg of subsidised foodgrains to each person per month to over 81 crore people through 5 lakh ration shops in the country. LUX HRS

Address rising food bill, revisit PDS rates: Survey

The fiery consequence of government’s demonetization move has now started showing up. Tired of being refused by shopkeepers from buying everyday necessities and food items, a bunch of cashless villagers at <keyword id="3839201" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bardua">Bardua</keyword> village in <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword> have looted a public distribution system shop (<keyword id="54487" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="PDS">PDS</keyword>), popularly called ration stores. 
 
In what vented out in to anger, the villagers in Bardua lost their temper after owner refused them to accept the now-defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currencies for groceries. 
 It all happened when those villagers went to buy food grains to the PDS and shop owner <keyword id="3839202" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="munnilal-ahirwar">Munnilal Ahirwar</keyword> refused to accept the old notes. The enraged people forces entered the shop and looted sacks of wheat, sugar and rice. <keyword id="963123" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ahirwar">Ahirwar</keyword> , in a police complaint has blamed village sarchpanch <keyword id="3839200" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="nonhelal-patel">Nonhelal Patel</keyword> for the incident. On the defence, <keyword id="6362344" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patel">Patel</keyword> alleged that Ahirwar had been misappropriating rations for long time. 
 
(Image : India Times)

Villagers looted ration shops in Madhya Pradesh
after the shop owner refused to accept old notes

New Delhi, Mar 25 () To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown, the government on Thursday decided to increase monthly quota of subsidized foodgrains by 2 kg to 7kg per person through ration shops for 80 crore beneficiaries.A decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."The government has decided to provide 7 kg per person of foodgrains to 80 crore people under the Public Distribution System (PDS), which the world's largest food security system," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told media after the meeting.The cost of wheat is Rs 27/kg, which will be provided at a subsidised rate of Rs 2 kg, while the cost of rice is about Rs 32/kg but will be supplied at Rs 3/kg through ration shops, he said.All states have been asked to take foodgrains from the Centre in advance for distribution through the PDS, he added.Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price.The decision to allocate additional foodgrains through the PDS has been taken as state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) is saddled with wheat and rice stock. With some foodgrains stock kept in open space, the FCI is under pressure to clear stock before monsoon. LUX BALBAL

Cabinet nod for supply of 2kg extra subsidised foodgrains via ration shops

<ul><li>The Indian Government plans to roll out the '<keyword id="7806209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="one-nation-one-ration-card">One Nation One Ration Card</keyword>' initiative to digitise its <keyword id="89442" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Public-distribution-system">Public Distribution System</keyword> (PDS). </li><li>India's <keyword id="211957" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-food-minister">Union Food Minister</keyword> claims that the new initiative will curb corruption and be a boom for migrant labourers. </li><li>The <keyword id="7809934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Integrated-Management-of-PDS">Integrated Management of PDS</keyword> (IMPDS) will be real time database to track monthly benefits akin to the GSTIN that's already in place to manage India's Goods and Services Tax. </li></ul>The Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, a program by the government to ensure food security for all its citizens, in undergoing some changes with the implementation of the '<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-to-roll-out-one-nation-one-ration-card/articleshow/69982372.cms">One Nation One Ration Card'</a> initiative. <keyword id="973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ram-Vilas-Paswan">Ram Vilas Paswan</keyword>, the Union Food Minister, claims that the new Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS) will curtain corruption in the system by removing the chances for duplication. So, if a particular beneficiary holds more than one ration card, they will no longer be able to collect ration more than once just because they travel to a different state. The government will also be able to keep an eye on the monthly entitlements and how much of the food grains are actually being used by the beneficiaries. This holds in line with government's attempts to digitise its processes. It has already set up point-of-sale (PoS) machines at PDS shops to help with cashless transactions. Who has the most to gain? Paswan claims that migrant labourers have the most to gain from the new scheme stating, "They will have full food security. This will also provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tired to any one PDS shop." The IMPDS will be a real time database — inspired and augmented from the government's Goods and Services Tax Integrated Management (GSTIN) — that support these efforts. As of now, it's already operational in 10 Indian states — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura. PDS is still far from perfect The importance of PDS in India lies in the fact that it allows the poor to purchase food grains from the government at prices lower than the market rate while also allowing farmers to sell their crop directly to the government as per a pegged 'fair price'. PDS has come under heavy criticism in the past of allowing food grains to go bad when they've been left in warehouses for too long without the proper storage facilities, not being efficient in delivering food grains from the warehouses to the PDS ration shops, and being unable to accurately determine how to define 'poor' as a criteria. And, because the government promises to buy all incoming grains from farmers, it can sometimes be at the cost of creating a shortage in the open market leading to higher prices for the public at large. The new system may address the problem of duplication but the issue of different departments using different criteria to determine the poor is a bane of everyone involved. In some states, like Haryana and the union territory of Puducherry, the state departments have opted for Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) — akin to the system that's already in place for LPG gas — and has seen encouraging results.

India has plans to roll out 'One Nation One Ration Card' to curtail corruption in the public distribution system

New Delhi, Feb 28 () Four more states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, will roll out the ration card portability by next month, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday. The government aims to implement ration card portability in the entire country from June 1 under the initiative called 'One Nation, One Ration Card'. Under the initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA from any Fair Price Shop in the country using the same ration card. "Already, 12 states have implemented the ration card portability. Four more states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will do by March and the rest other states by June 1," Paswan said at an agri-summit organised by BusinessLine newspaper here. The portability of ration card will end corruption in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and help beneficiaries avail their entitlement anywhere in the country, he said. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharasthra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and Tripura are 12 states where ration card portability has been implemented, he added. The minister also said that no new ration card will be required under the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' initiative. The minister said that direct benefit transfer of PDS foodgrains being implemented in Chandigarh, Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli on a pilot basis has not been successful because of lack of bank facilities and power shortage. In many states, door-step delivery of foodgrains has been initiated. The PDS has been streamlined as Aadhar details have been seeded with 90 per cent of ration cards in the country and point of sale machines have been installed in 96 per cent of the fair price shops, he added. Under the NFSA, about 75 crore beneficiaries have been covered so far against the target of 81.35 crore, as per official data. On price rise in essential items like onion, the minister said unfortunately consumers in the country cry when prices of commodities produced by farmers go up and don't bother when prices of products like shoe or watch rises. "This kind of approach is not good. But this is the reality," he said, emphasising the need to change this situation. LUX MRMR

You Searched For "ration shops" and got 11 results

Ration shops in the country would be used for all banking transactions

BI India Bureau

'One nation, one ration card' scheme will be made applicable across country from June: Paswan

PTI

No new ration card needed for inter-state portability: Paswan

PTI

Now buy Future Group branded products at Rajasthan’s ration shops!

BI India Bureau

States can lift PDS grains for three months on credit: FM

PTI

Your nearby grocery shop is going to become a micro ATM soon

BI India Bureau

Address rising food bill, revisit PDS rates: Survey

PTI

Villagers looted ration shops in Madhya Pradesh after the shop owner refused to accept old notes

BI India Bureau

Cabinet nod for supply of 2kg extra subsidised foodgrains via ration shops

PTI

India has plans to roll out 'One Nation One Ration Card' to curtail corruption in the public distribution system

Prabhjote Gill

4 more states to implement ration card portability by March:Paswan

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You Searched For "ration shops" and got 11 results

​ Ration shops in the country would be used for all banking transactions

BI India Bureau

'One nation, one ration card' scheme will be made applicable across country from June: Paswan

PTI

No new ration card needed for inter-state portability: Paswan

PTI

Now buy Future Group branded products at Rajasthan’s ration shops!

BI India Bureau

States can lift PDS grains for three months on credit: FM

PTI

Your nearby grocery shop is going to become a micro ATM soon

BI India Bureau

Address rising food bill, revisit PDS rates: Survey

PTI

Villagers looted ration shops in Madhya Pradesh after the shop owner refused to accept old notes

BI India Bureau

Cabinet nod for supply of 2kg extra subsidised foodgrains via ration shops

PTI

India has plans to roll out 'One Nation One Ration Card' to curtail corruption in the public distribution system

Prabhjote Gill

4 more states to implement ration card portability by March:Paswan

PTI

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Ration shops in the country would be used for all banking transactions