text: Smart ration cards from Nov 1, free Onam food kits until Sept 3 | Kerala News | Onmanorama
  Published: September 01, 2021 04:30 PM IST
  Thiruvananthapuram: Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil said that Smart ration cards will be made available throughout the state from November 1, which is celebrated as Kerala's Formation Day.
  20 lakh ration card holders yet to get Onam food kit
  Those who require smart ration cards should pay Rs 25. The Kerala Government will consider giving smart ration cards to priority categories at its own expense.
  Applications for the smart cards can be submitted directly at the Taluk Supply Office or through the civil supplies department portal.
  The smart cards have to be collected from the Taluk Office.
  The smart card has been brought after modifying the e-ration cards that were introduced last April. The e-ration cards were brought on the lines of Aadhaar cards. Its benefit was that a printout was sufficient to use it.
  The card is the size of a postcard.
  The new smart card with QR Code and Barcode will have the owner's name, photo, address on the front portion, and details like monthly income, ration shop number, whether the house has electrification and LPG connection would be mentioned behind.
  QR code scanners too at ration shops
  To facilitate the use of smart ration cards at the ration shops QR code scanners would also be kept along with the POS machines.
  The details of the card holder would appear while scanning the card. Besides, the purchase details will appear on the consumer's mobile phone while buying ration.
  Onam kit distribution till Friday
  The free Onam kit distribution has been extended up to September 3, the minister stated.
  The time has been extended given the complaints that the families affected by COVID-19 could not receive their kits. Bed-ridden patients and Covid patients can receive kits through the proxy system. Till 5 pm on Tuesday, 86,51,079 Onam food kits had been distributed in the state.
  5 kg special rice
  The ration distribution for September began on Monday, September 1.
  The blue and white cardholders (non-priority categories) would get 5 kg special rice at the rate of Rs 15 per kg.
  Each yellow and pink cardholder would get 4 kg rice and 1 kg wheat, free under the Central government's Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
  Non-buyers to be weeded out
  The minister said a probe would be conducted regarding the priority category yellow and pink cardholders who have not yet procured ration or taken the special food kits. In case ineligible people are found, they would be removed from the list.
  In place of 1.36 lakh, people who volunteered out of the priority category, more than 10,000 poor were added newly to the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category which is given the Yellow ration card.
  The most economically backward fall in this category.
  Meanwhile, about 1 lakh people holding the pink cards given to the Below Poverty Line category too have not shown up for purchases.
  The minister also said action would be taken over supplying fake khadi masks along with the free food kits and the irregularities in the bags meant for kits. No special consideration would be accorded to any establishment or agency.
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