Union Home Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Thursday that the public distribution cards could be used in any ration shop, regardless of the State, under ‘One country, a ration card.’ On Thursday
Union Government released the second tranche of the 20 Lakh Crore Economic Package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help alleviate the distress for small farmers, migrant workers, small traders and self-employed people under the Atmanirbhar Bharat, Self-reliant India campaign.
The public ration card portal will benefit 67 Crore people in 23 states, 83 per cent of the population of the Public Distribution System ( PDS). By 31 March 2021, the Government will ensure 100% of the national portability of these cards.
“The One Nation Ration Card is already covered by 83 per cent and will be 100 per cent by March 2021. There is going to be One Nation One Ration Card throughout the country, under this scheme the migrant workers and labourers residing anywhere in the country (whichever state or UT they are in) will be able to avail ration,” Sitharaman said.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will extend special relief to nearly eight crore migrant workers who do not have Central or State PDS cards by providing them with free food grain supplies for the next two months. Moreover, five kilograms per person of wheat or rice and one kilogram chana per family will be given to the migrants at the Centre’s expense amounting to three thousand 500 crore rupees.
Finance Minister also announced an affordable rental housing scheme for migrant workers in addition to five thousand crore special credit facilities for nearly 50 lakh street vendors. The government is encouraging manufacturing and industry to build affordable housing units on their properties via Public-Private Partnership (PPP) through concessionaire agreements.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a ₹2 lakh crore concessional credit boost for farmers under the Kisan Credit Card scheme to benefit nearly 2.5 crore farmers and to provide farmers with access to institutional credit at concessional rates.
Sitharaman also announced that National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will provide an additional emergency working capital fund of ₹30,000 crores for the farmers. This amount is in addition to the ₹90,000 crores reported earlier and is intended to benefit more than 3 crore farmers in the country.