The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) program is a national ration card that allows migrant workers and their families to obtain PDS benefits from any fair price shops located throughout the nation.
The ONORC scheme links migrant workers’ ration cards to Aadhaar. This allows workers to receive ration benefits from any FPS in the country, regardless of location. The scheme prevents fraud like multiple people using the same ration card.
The 2019 ONORC program has helped migrant workers secure food. Over 80 million migrant workers benefited from the scheme in its first year. The scheme has also made it easier for migrant workers to get ration benefits without traveling far.
The ONORC scheme needs to address some issues to be more effective. Migrant workers may not have Aadhaar cards. Additionally, the scheme may not reach all migrant workers, especially informal sector workers.
ONORC is a good step towards food security for Indian migrant workers. The program could change millions of migrant workers’ lives and families.
To improve the ONORC scheme, these issues must be addressed:
- No awareness of the scheme among migrant workers.
- Migrant workers lack Aadhaar cards.
- Fair-price shops lack infrastructure.
- Corruption at FPS.
The government can address these issues by taking these steps:
- Social media, community outreach, and migrant helplines to inform migrant workers about the scheme.
- Setting up Aadhaar enrolment centres in migrant worker-heavy areas and helping them apply for the cards.
- Improving FPS infrastructure by providing enough storage and staff to handle the increased demand for ration benefits.
- Regular inspections and harsh penalties for corrupt FPS dealers are ways to combat corruption.