Joining issue with DMK leader M.K. Stalin, who questioned the delay in issuing smart ration cards, Food Minister R. Kamaraj on Monday said the cards would be issued in a few months, as about 49 per cent of the ration cards in the State with Aadhaar numbers of all family members, had been registered digitally.
Responding to charges levelled by Mr. Stalin raised on Sunday, the Minister said of the 2.03 crore ration cards, the Aadhaar cards details of all the members of the family had been collected in about 92.51 lakh ration cards (49 per cent), while details of Aadhaar details of at least one of the members of the card had been registered in the case of 87.32 lakh cards.
Besides, about 10.50 lakh cards, which do not have Aadhaar details of all the members, have been registered digitally. In total, details of 1.90 crore cards of the 2.03 crore cards have been registered, he said.
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Claiming that the existing ration cards were issued during the AIADMK rule in 2005, Mr. Kamaraj said the DMK government should have replaced the cards.