Assam Chief Minister Launches Ration Card Distribution in 49 Assembly Constituencies

Guwahati, Dec 15 (NationPress) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma commenced the first phase of issuing new ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) across 49 legislative Assembly constituencies in the state.

During an event at the Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati, the CM distributed ration cards to 14,328 beneficiaries from 4,535 families in the Guwahati Central assembly seat and 16,411 beneficiaries from 4,759 families in the Jalukbari constituency.

Sarma emphasized the unwavering commitment of the current state government to ensure that underprivileged individuals have consistent access to rice.

He pointed out that the NFSA was introduced in Assam in December 2015, aiming to meet the nutritional needs of approximately 2.51 crore beneficiaries. He stressed that 85 percent of rural residents and 60 percent of urban residents should qualify for ration cards.

Sarma mentioned that after linking ration cards with Aadhaar, an extra 60 lakh cards have been issued, enabling the distribution of free rice through biometric verification.

He praised the successful execution of the One Nation, One Ration Card initiative, which has been operational for the past three years, allowing beneficiaries to procure supplies from anywhere in the country.

The Chief Minister clarified that ration cards must be collected between the 1st and 10th of each month, and assured the public that no fraudulent claims would be considered, as the government has made significant efforts to guarantee that deserving families receive their benefits.

CM Sarma reported that in the 2023-24 fiscal year, 42,85,745 new beneficiaries have been included, with 10,73,489 new families obtaining ration cards in January alone, benefitting more than 52 lakh individuals.

He explained that the state Cabinet decided to issue 20 lakh new ration cards, which were distributed fairly among constituencies to ensure that no one was left out.

He added that starting today, seven lakh individuals in 49 constituencies would receive new ration cards, thereby securing 35 lakh kilograms of rice for the needy.

Furthermore, Sarma noted that 19,92,167 individuals would receive their ration cards within the month across the remaining 76 constituencies.

The Chief Minister also stated that families holding ration cards would qualify for free medical treatment up to Rs five lakh at government hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Assam schemes.

He further mentioned: “Even those without health cards could access healthcare by simply presenting their ration cards at hospitals. Additionally, ration cardholders would be able to obtain cooking gas through the Ujjwala scheme. The state government has initiated a selection process for beneficiaries of the Orunodoi scheme, which will continue until December 28.

Meanwhile, Sarma stated that to prevent fraudulent claims, the Orunodoi scheme would be linked with ration cards.