Civil Supplies Department Eases the Process of Getting Ration Card: No more delay

You could get a ration card for civil supplies within seven days of applying if the Kerala food department has its way. The department has already simplified the process of verifying the applications by drawing information through Aadhaar.

The food department has asked the National Informatics Center to update the ration card management software. This could lead to a situation in which an eligible applicant is granted a ration card within a week of application, compared to the current waiting period of two months.

The application forms are distributed from the rationing inspector’s office once a week. An applicant has to fill up the form, affix a revenue stamp and submit it along with a proof of residence, family documents, and a certificate to prove that she does not own a ration card at present. The rationing inspector has to vet the information in person before granting a ration card.

Once the process is completed, the applicant is summoned to the rationing office to take his photo. An applicant is required to go to the office multiple times before she is granted a ration card. The software upgrade is expected to speed up the process.

Applicants could go to the nearest Akshaya center and fill up the application form. Once the Aadhaar number is loaded, almost all information is auto-filled. The system could also check if the applicant owns a ration card in anywhere in Kerala by furnishing the Aadhaar number to the ration card management database. The photo in the Aadhaar card would be automatically pulled up to the system, doing away with the process of photographing the applicant. All the applicant needs to do is to upload a scanned copy of the certificate to prove family relations.

The application forms would be forwarded by the taluk supply offices to the concerned rationing inspectors, who would visit the applicant to verify the information in person. The inspector has to report back to the taluk supply office within two days.

The applicant will not be required to go to the ration office except for receiving the ration card. The general category cards will be distributed in the first stage. If you are eligible to be included in the priority list, you can apply for it at the time of renewing the card every year.