Govt launches ‘Mera Ration’ mobile app for migrant PDS beneficiaries

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday launched a mobile app ‘Mera Ration’ which ration cardholders, particularly migrant beneficiaries, can use for identifying the nearest fair price shop, check details of their entitlement and recent transactions.

The android-based mobile application, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), is currently in Hindi and English. Gradually, it would be made available in 14 languages.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government supplies highly subsidised foodgrains at Rs 1-3 per kg to over 81 crore people through the public distribution system (PDS). It is also offering ration card portability service ‘One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)’ in 32 States and Union Territories.

After the launch, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said the new mobile app aims to facilitate the ONORC-related services among beneficiaries of the NFSA, particularly migrant beneficiaries, fair price shop (FPS) or ration shop dealers and other stakeholders.

”We plan to have this mobile app in 14 languages. These languages are identified based on places where most migrant people move,” he said.

Among key features, the secretary said migrant beneficiaries can register their migration details through the mobile app. Migrant beneficiaries can register themselves before starting their journey and the system will automatically allocate the entitled foodgrains.

Besides, NFSA beneficiaries can identify the nearest FPS, easily check details of their foodgrains entitlement, previous six-month transactions and status of Aadhaar seeding.

”A beneficiary would actually know what he is entitled to. He need not ask FPS dealer how much he would get,” Pandey said.

Beneficiaries can log in giving Aadhaar or ration card number.

The government supplies 5 kg of subsidised foodgrains to each person per month through 5.4 lakh ration shops.