Ration Card is a state government issued document based on their eligibility to buy essentials from ration shops at a very subsidised price. There are different Types Of Ration Card available and very few of us are aware of them all. State Governments issue different types of ration cards to the people based on their categories. The categories are divided based purely on their income. Considering these ration cards as proof, the state government bestows ration i.e., food grains and essentials at a very fair price to the beneficiaries at dedicated fair price shops or ration shops.
According to the National Food and Security Act (NFSA), people that hold different cards will receive different quality and quantity of commodities at a subsidised price. There are different types of ration cards available in the country and the inside benefits may change from state to state. The very common ration cards are: Priority household ration card, BPL (Below Poverty Line), APL (Above Poverty Line), Antyodaya and Annapoorna Yojana ration card.
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Different Types of Ration Cards
As we said earlier there are different types of ration cards available and based on the Public Distribution System the government decides whom to grant what in terms of ration. If you want to know in detail about How Many Types of Ration Card are available, you are on the right page. We are going to clearly talk about the types of ration cards available and their respective benefits for the commons.
Priority Household (PHH) Ration Card
Household that was issued a priority ration card by the government will receive 5 kgs of food-grains for every person in a month at subsidized prices. Rs.3 per kg will be charged from each under this card. The other commodities include wheat at Rs.2 and coarse grains at Rs.1, kilo each respectively. Various guidelines are considered to name the eligibility criteria for the priority ration card. Some of the inclusion and exclusion guidelines are listed below.
Inclusion criteria
- A person having disability of more than 40 percent
- Any transgender person
- Households having no shelter
- All households belonging to primitive tribal groups
- Household with destitute living on alms.
- Households having a widow pension holder
On the other hand the exclusion guidelines include:
- Any household which has a pucca roof with at least three rooms with pucca walls
- Households who pay income tax or professional tax.
- Household having any member who earns more than Rs.10,000 in a month (rural area) and Rs.15,000 (urban area) were few of them.
Antyodaya (AAY) Ration Card
Families having no stable income are issued the Antyodaya cards. Men and women of old age, unemployed, and laborers fall under this category. In short, Antyodaya ration cards are issued to families that make less income than Rs. 250/- per month. There is also the issuance of exclusive AAY cards to the Senior Citizens who have no means of income in any way. This exclusive card is also issued to widows, families run by widows, ill people and physically handicapped. The AAY ration card holder is given 35 Kgs of rice at the rate of Rs. 3/- per Kg. The card is in green colour.
Above Poverty Line (APL) Ration Card
In this article on Types of Ration Card in India, let us now talk in detail about the APL ration card. APL Ration Card, as the name suggests, is issued to the people who live above the set Poverty line. Anyone is eligible to apply for this Ration Card and there is no annual income limit to it.
Below Poverty Line (BPL) Ration Card
Families that fall under the Below Poverty Line are granted with this type of ration card. If the annual income is less than Rs.27,000 or less, then the family will be issued a BPL ration card.
Annapoorna Yojana (AY) Ration Card
Annapoorna Yojana ration cards are granted to those who are poor and above 65 years of age. Under this card, the beneficiaries will receive 10 kgs of foodgrains per month.
Ration Cards by Color
Among the Different Types of Ration Card available, color categorized cards are few. The ration cards are also categorised depending on their color. The common colors of ration cards include Blue, orange, and yellow.
Blue Ration Card
Blue ration card holders are those whose families fall above the poverty line. The commodities are provided under special subsidies. Under this card the government gives Kerosene at subsidy rates. Families who do not have a Gas/LPG connection can apply for a Blue Ration Card.
Orange Ration Card
People who fall above the poverty line are granted Orange Color Ration Cards. The annual income will also be considered, but it differs from state to state.
Yellow Ration Card
Yellow ration cards can be applied by those who fall in the Below Poverty Line category. Again the annual income is decided by the state.
For BPL and APL, the card colors may differ from state to state.
You are rest assured about the information we have covered here regarding Types Of Ration Card. Our primary intention is that no eligible person should miss out on taking these benefits from the government. If you belong to any of the categories mentioned above and haven’t applied for one yet, make sure to contact the concerned authorities and apply for the card as soon as possible. Stay tuned to MoneyCompass for more updates.