The Tripura government has started providing consumer-friendly PVC ration cards to beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS), replacing old paper booklets to ensure transparency and digital support, an official said on Saturday.

A senior official of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said that the department has started giving PVC ration cards to PDS beneficiaries, replacing the old paper books.

Tripura is the first state in the Northeast providing the PVC ration cards.

When the card is punched or swiped at the ration shop, all the connected databases would get updated, he added.

Tripura is also the first state in the Northeast to install PoS machines to use the PVC ration cards.

According to the official, of the 9.91 lakh family ration card holders, 4.87 lakh PVC cards would be provided in the first phase, and the remaining ration card holders would get this card in a phased manner after e-KYCs (electronic-Know Your Customer) are done by the ration cardholders.

“The PVC ration cards could not be distributed to all as several PDS beneficiaries have not completed e-KYC due to various reasons, which included Aadhaar card, residential proof related problems. Many people are also shifted to their original place of residence,” the official said.

He said that the PVC cards, similar to voter ID cards or Aadhaar cards, have durability with minimum chance of getting dirty or damaged, even during the rainy season or any other problems.

A PVC ration card's benefits combine the advantages of a standard ration card with enhanced durability, convenience, and improved efficiency in the PDS.

Key benefits include access to subsidized food, increased transparency, reduced corruption, ease of access, and a long-lasting, waterproof physical card.

For the convenience of PDS consumers the Food and Civil Supplies Department has decided to convert 600 government fair price shops, out of the total of 2,072, as model outlets.

The department has already provided Rs 5,000 to each ration shop dealer to convert their shops into model outlets, catering to the basic needs of the consumers, the official said the steps has been taken keeping in mind the convenience of ration cardholders.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury has said that the department did not compromise with the quality of food items and is trying to provide better services through the PDS.

The minister held a state level conference with the ration shop dealers and urged them to maintain transparency and quality in their services. Currently, all consumers under the PDS get rice, sugar, flour, kerosene and tea leaves from ration shops at subsidised rates.