Smart ration cards distributed in Mohali

Punjab cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Saturday distributed smart ration cards to families enrolled under the National Food Security Act here. He said over four lakh people from 1.1 lakh families in Mohali will benefit from the scheme.

“The biometric authentication ensures food grain distribution to the actual beneficiary. End-to-end computerisation and digitisation of the entire process minimises the food grain pilferage and diversion. The intrastate portability feature of the card empowers the beneficiary to collect ration from the fair price shop of his choice. It marks the end of age-old monopoly of depot holders,” the minister added.

While Balbir Singh Sidhu launched the scheme at the district level, simultaneous launch was also held at block levels. Smart ration cards can be used to withdraw food grains from fair price shops through e-PoS machines without carrying any additional document. A smart ration card will be swiped on the e-PoS machine to fetch the details of the family, after which the biometric authentication of the family member will be done.

The details of the beneficiaries are integrated in a locked chip that can be read from authenticated e-PoS machines only. The cards have security features such as ‘micro text technology’. The QR code printed on the back side of the card is a combination of more than one field.