In its resolve to remove bogus ration cards, the Department of Food and Civil Supplies has asked existing ration cardholders and also those who have applied for the cards, to SMS details such as their unique identification number and Electors Photo Identity Card number to 9212357123 before July 15.
Deputy Commissioner (in-charge) S. Palaiah told presspersons here on Thursday that ration cardholders and fresh applicants can send the SMS either from their own mobile phone or those of their relatives or friends.
Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies K. Rameshwarappa said three cardholders or applicants can send the details from a single mobile number. “The system will not accept more than three SMSes from the same number,” he said.
It is mandatory to send details of every member of a BPL family. Those who have not got their UIDs can SMS the Aadhaar number to the designated mobile number, according to a release from the department.
Mr. Palaiah said that there are 6,08,000 BPL cardholders and 1,34,000 APL cardholders in the district.
So far, 3,43,042 cardholders had submitted UID numbers and 1,75,625 cardholders had furnished their EPIC numbers.
Mr. Rameshwarappa said the data furnished by cardholders and applicants will be matched with the data stored in the department’s central server, to overcome duplication.
The photographs in Aadhaar cards and the EPIC will also be matched.
He said that the Paditara Khatri scheme guarantees the release of ration to public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries between the first and 10th of every month. All fair price shops in the district have been asked to remain open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (lunch break between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.).
Ration will be distributed on the remaining days of the month when the shops function from 8 a.m. to noon and between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. after the 10th, Mr. Rameshwarappa said.
