Smart cards for rations by December

Chennai: Food minister Kamaraj on Friday announced that smart family cards would be distributed in place of existing ration cards by December this year.

Replying to CPI(M) MLA A. Laser who asked the state government to issue new ration cards as the existing ones were expired in 2006 itself and every year a sheet of paper to attached to it, the minister said that the steps were being taken to issue smart cards to replace the ration cards.

Mr Kamaraj said the biometric date collected by the directorate of census operation from the residents would be used to issue smart cards. “We decided to make use of census data as it will cost over Rs 73 crore for such an enumeration process. However, so far the census department has completed 74 per cent of the works only and it is delaying the issue of smart cards,” he explained, and added that the data collection works would be completed by December after which smart cards would be issued. He said that the shifting to smart cards would help eliminate bogus cards.
Citing the minister’s statement that new rations cards would be issued in a time frame of 60 days, Mr Laser said that in reality, many people who had applied with valid documents have been waiting for years together for it.

Food minister, however, denied it saying that new family cards for eligible families are issued in 60 days time. He said that till June this year, 9.79 lakh new cards were issued in the last three years.  
“We are holding weekly review meetings at the state and the district levels to review the issue of new cards,” he said, adding that if the applications are presented with all the necessary documents, the cards would be issued in the due time.