At Delhi’s Seemapuri, 94% collect ration using biometric authentication

In April this year, the Delhi government implemented e-PoS and ONORC on a pilot basis at the Seemapuri circle. According to official records seen by The Indian Express, the circle has 30,090 ration card holders and 42 ration shops.

In May, 94.25 per cent card holders successfully collected their monthly quota of ration after biometric verification through e-PoS. As many as 2,823 card holders also availed benefit of the inter-state portability, under which a beneficiary can collect ration from any fair price shop as per his convenience. The segment on ONORC shows that 159 transactions took place under this category in May. As per the break-up of the transactions, 94 migrant card holders from Bihar, 60 from Uttar Pradesh, two from Haryana, and one from Rajasthan were among the beneficiaries.

The Centre has been writing to the Delhi government to resume the e-PoS system. It has also pointed out on several occasions, including as recently as June 8, that due to non-resumption of the mechanism, the vast number of migrants in Delhi are unable to make use of the ONORC policy that will enable them to collect PDS foodgrains using ration cards registered in other states.

“Considering the prevailing situation of Covid-19 pandemic and looking at the difficulty faced by migrants, facility of interstate portability (ONORC) will ensure delivery of ration to a large number of migrant workers in Delhi. This will help them to avail their entitled foodgrains on subsidised rate and also improve their ease of living,” the Centre wrote to Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev on June 8.

“The Delhi government’s drive to distribute ration among non-PDS beneficiaries has proved highly inadequate. But not all these people turning up at the distribution centres are non-PDS card holders. Most of them have cards registered in other states. The implementation of ONORC will help them live with dignity as they will be able to collect ration normally. And Delhi government will have no additional burden on it either,” said a senior official from the Delhi government’s food department.