How to get a Ration Card in India

A Ration Card is a very useful document for many Indian citizens. This document helps" 1. People save money on purchases of a limited amount of essential commodities every month from Government fair price shops. 2. As it is issued by the State Governments, this document is considered as a form of identification in India. Ration cards can be used as Identification to avail such services as getting a Voter Card etc. Any person who does not have a ration card and is whose name is not included in someone else's Ration card can apply for their own Ration Card. Family members, living in the same household and sharing the same kitchen are supposed to have one Ration card for the entire family and each family members name is included on the card.

How to get a Ration Card

To apply for a new ration card in India, the first step is to get an application form from the circle office that is near your permanent residence. A sample of the form required for applying for a ration card can be seen HERE The following documents are generally required along with your filled in application form to process your ration card application. • Three passport size photographs of head of family attested by a gazetted officer/MLA/MP/Municipal Councilor • Proof of residence. This can be house registration documents, Tax receipts, Major utility bill such as electricity bill or any other proof of residence that is acceptable to the authorities. Tenants for instance could get residency notes from landlord. o In a case where the applicant is not able to provide acceptable proof of residence documentation, The Circle officer will normally accept statements from two independent witnesses in the persons neighborhood. • Once the application and documents are submitted a officer from the Circle office will preform a random check at your residence to confirm the validity of your application. They make a personal visit for this purpose. • While the process is supposed to take about 15 days, don't bank on it. Ration card verification offices are sometimes said to ask for bribes to approve and expedite applications. In September 2008, the Times of India reported a case where a person in Pune was asked to pay Rupees 2000 to get his ration card. There are many fraudulent ration cards also floating around in India as people use such cards for identification purposes when seeking various services. If you have a ration card, even if you don't use it to make purchases or for identification purposes, you should make sure to keep it in a safe place as you don't want someone using your identity as theirs for questionable acts. A lost ration card should be reported to the authorities. In a bid to avoid the use of fake ration cards, some State Governments are planning to issue smart card type ration cards with biometric verification in the near future.

CLICK TO VIEW SAMPLE OF RATION CARD APPLICATION