The ambitious One-Nation-One-Ration Card (ONORC) scheme of the Union government has come under the scrutiny of a parliamentary panel, with Opposition members planning to raise concerns over gaps in its implementation and the efficiency of the public distribution system(PDS) network. The scheme gained traction soon after a lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of covid last year. In May 2020, the Centre raised the borrowing limit for states from 3% to 5% of gross state domestic product (GSDP) for FY 21, subject to certain reforms initiatives by states, including the PDS reform.
Our primary concern is that the Centre must not rush through this scheme. This is a vast and ambitious project but that also means that there are too many gaps that need to be addressed. There are several states that have flagged inconsistencies in the distribution system, compatibility of Aadhaar authentication and effective machines for fingerprint reading, a person aware of developments said requesting anonymity. The standing committee on food, consumer affairs and public distribution on Thursday is set to meet ministry officials to discuss possible ways to strengthen the PDS system and augment the use of technological means for implementing the flagship ration portability scheme. The problem is that the Union government has not been able to install and connect all fair price shops through electronic point of sale (e-POS) machines.
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