HYDERABAD: Portability for ration card holders to avail essentials at any ration shop across the State comes into effect from Sunday i.e. April 1, announced the Telangana state Civil Supplies Department (TSCDS) on Saturday. The portability option is available for all 2.75 crore beneficiaries of TSCSD.
The portability scheme has already been implemented district wise and will now be implemented across the State. Beneficiaries can now avail their ration from anywhere in the state. A cardholder need not go particularly to his allotted ration shop anymore but can get his ration from anywhere in the state, said CV Anand commissioner for TSCDS.
Previously the cardholders were allowed to get their commodities only from the ration shop allotted to them. Families migrating or shifting from one place to another were unable to get ration from the nearest shop, but had to get commodities from the allotted shop even if it was far away. There will be no limitation to get the commodities in a particular ration shop now. The beneficiaries can get their essential commodities near their house or any place irrespective of ration shops where their card is allotted. “Even if
cardholders shifts or moves to other areas, they need not go for a change of shop as cardholder can get ration from any ration within the state,” said TSCSD in a press release. Family members included in the ration card can get ration individually from anywhere in the state.
For example, out of five members of a family, one can get the quota of rice or kerosene or wheat from Mahaboobnagar district, two members can get rice from Medak or kerosene from Adilabad. SMS message will be sent to the registered mobile number about the quota as soon as the ration is purchased.
The commissioner said that ration cards will not be terminated even if card holders do not take their ration. By downloading T-ration app, one can get the location nearer to them by just a click. Ration portability was implemented in 1,545 ration shops from June 1, 2017, in Greater Hyderabad circle. The TSCSD got a positive response to the initiative from the cardholders as they were able to get commodities from the shops close to them. In ten months duration, about 29 lakh transactions were made by portability.