JAMMU, MAY 21: Principal Secretary Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRRR) Chandraker Bharti Thursday reviewed the progress on implementation of the ration distribution in terms of the Special Relief Ration Scheme for Kashmiri/Jammu Migrants as well as extension of benefits of social sector/welfare schemes to eligible migrants, after integration of their ration cards on the national database.
The meeting, as per an official statement, was attended by Director Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Jammu, R.K Shavan; Relief & Rehabilitation Commissioner(M), J&K, Dr Arvind Karwani and senior officers from DMRRR, FCS&CA, Social Welfare Departments and National Informatics Centre.
During the meeting, the Principal Secretary directed the concerned departments to take proactive steps to reach out to all households and ensure ration supply to all migrant beneficiaries who have enrolled for integration on the NFSA database, even if e-KYC formalities are pending/ in process. He asked the FCS&CA Department to provide free ration of April and May as a one-time exception during the transition period into the NFSA database to all such beneficiaries from the FPS dealers indicated by them in the NFSA application, and issue necessary order on same.
The Principal Secretary also asked the officers of the Relief Organization to reach out to all such households that have still not lifted the ration despite the completion of e-KYC formalities and facilitate them. He asked the FCS&CA Department to explore the possibility of establishing a Ration ATM at Mini-Township Jagti, which houses more than 5,000 migrant families and Relief Organization shall identify and provide suitable space for the purpose.
The Principal Secretary also called for conducting an extensive IEC campaign through print, electronic, and social media to make migrants aware that the integration of migrant ration cards into the NFSA database is purely a welfare-oriented governance reform aimed at inclusion of migrants into the mainstream welfare architecture, extension of social security benefits, digitization and modernization of records, transparency, and accountability in beneficiary management. He highlighted that the continuation and protection of all the existing relief provisions/guidelines/ entitlements available to Kashmiri/ Jammu Migrants is ensured.
He also directed the officers of Social Welfare department to organise special camps in coordination with the Relief Organization in at migrant camps and prominent non-camp areas at Jammu to reach out to potential migrant beneficiaries of social sector/welfare schemes and facilitate them in filling various online applications for availing benefits of different social sector schemes like Old Age Pension, Widow Pension, Disability Pension, Marriage Assistance, Ayushman Bharat and various scholarships. He also asked them to organise a camp at Reasi for Jammu Migrants.
During the meeting, it was informed that about 21,000 migrant ration cards have already been punched into the NFSA database, and the process of integrating about 5,000 migrant ration cards is in progress and around 50% of families have lifted ration so far under the new scheme. It was apprised that those who could not lift ration in the month of April are being provided two months’ free ration (April & May 2026) and those who received less ration due to any glitch in April or May will also be provided the remaining portion by the FCS&CA Department.
The Government, in terms of various Government Orders and notifications, has repeatedly clarified that the earlier scale of ration distribution to the migrants registered under the relief category shall continue and that all relief ration card holders shall continue to receive 11 Kg free ration per person per month and 1 Kg sugar as per the extant scale of ration distribution. Besides, those registered with the Relief Organisation under the non-relief category (Pensioners, etc.) and categorized into the NPHH category will also receive 5 Kg ration on the Government-approved rates as per their entitlement under NFSA on cost basis.
Social Welfare Department apprised the meeting that 776 families have so far availed the benefit of various social sector schemes after the integration of migrant ration cards into the NFSA database. Pertinent to mention that migrants could not earlier avail the benefits of these schemes due to their ration cards being non-digitized and not integrated into the national database.
