State Food Scheme (Yellow Ration Card)

What is the State Food Scheme?

The State Food Scheme is a public distribution programme funded by the Government of Uttarakhand and run by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. It exists to make sure that households which are not covered by the National Food Security Act (NFSA) can still buy foodgrain; mainly rice; at subsidised rates through the state's ration system. The card issued to these households is commonly called the State Food Scheme card, or the yellow ration card, to distinguish it from the NFSA cards.

According to the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, the ration system in Uttarakhand runs on the Public Distribution System (PDS) and a network of Fair Price Shops. Under NFSA, households are placed in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana or Priority Household categories and draw grain at NFSA rates. The State Food Scheme is the state's parallel arrangement for families who fall outside these NFSA categories, so that they are not left without subsidised grain. The department describes its role as ensuring "supply of food grains (Rice & Wheat) and other commodities (Sugar & Salt) to the consumer in a transparent manner under the Public Distribution System."

Under the State Food Scheme (State Food Yojana), a yellow-card household is reported to draw about 7.5 kg of rice per month at a subsidised rate of around Rs 11 per kg. Reported eligibility caps the household's annual income at about Rs 5 lakh. These figures are fixed by the department and revised through government orders, so treat them as indicative and confirm the current quota, rate and income limit with your local supply office before relying on them, since an out-of-date figure would mislead.

Who is eligible for the State Food Scheme?

You can apply if:

• Your household lives in Uttarakhand and is a resident of the state.
• Your household is not covered under NFSA, that is, you are not already an Antyodaya or Priority Household cardholder.
• Your household income falls within the state limit; reported at about Rs 5 lakh a year for the yellow card; confirm the current cap with the supply office.
• The family members have Aadhaar and can be recorded on a single household card.

You cannot apply if:

• Your household is already covered under NFSA and draws grain under the Antyodaya or Priority Household category, those families are served under NFSA, not separately under the State Food Scheme.
• Your family holds a ration card in another state — a duplicate card is not allowed, and the earlier card must be surrendered first.
• The household details cannot be verified or are found to duplicate an existing card.

The rules that decide which households are placed under NFSA and which under the State Food Scheme are set by the department, and inclusion or exclusion depends on the criteria in force. Confirm your category with the local supply office if you are unsure which card you should hold.

What foodgrain does the scheme provide?

The State Food Scheme provides subsidised foodgrain, mainly rice, drawn each month from the household's linked Fair Price Shop. A yellow-card household is reported to receive about 7.5 kg of rice per month at roughly Rs 11 per kg, though the monthly quota per card and the subsidised rate are set by the department and revised from time to time. Grain is issued against the ration card, usually with Aadhaar-based (e-POS) verification at the shop to prevent misuse. The dealer authenticates a family member's fingerprint or OTP before releasing grain. For the exact quota and rate that apply to your card right now, check with the department or your Fair Price Shop dealer, and if the shop denies your due quota, raise it immediately with the supply office or on CM Helpline 1905.

What documents are required?

How to apply for a State Food Scheme ration card

1. Approach the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, use its ration card services online at fcs.uk.gov.in or visit the local supply / tehsil supply office.
2. Fill in the new ration card application with the details of every family member and attach Aadhaar and proof of residence in Uttarakhand.
3. If your family held a ration card elsewhere, provide the surrender or deletion proof so a duplicate card is not created.
4. Submit the application for verification by the supply office.
5. On approval, the State Food Scheme (yellow) ration card is issued and linked to a Fair Price Shop, from which you draw grain each month.

The same department services also cover transfer or surrender of a ration card, renewal or duplicate cards, and modification (adding or removing a family member), so an existing card can be updated through the same route. Keep the acknowledgement or reference number generated when you apply, since it is what the supply office uses to trace your file during verification.

Ration cards in Uttarakhand are Aadhaar-seeded and work through electronic point-of-sale (e-POS) machines at Fair Price Shops. Under One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), an Aadhaar-seeded cardholder can draw their entitled grain from any linked Fair Price Shop, which helps families who move within the state or migrate for work. If your card is not yet Aadhaar-seeded, complete the seeding at the supply office, because unseeded cards increasingly face problems at the e-POS machine.

How to check your ration card status

1. Use the ration card services on the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department portal at fcs.uk.gov.in, or ask the local supply office.
2. Track whether your new card, modification or renewal has been approved.
3. Once the card is active, confirm your linked Fair Price Shop so you know where to collect grain.

Why applications get rejected

• Duplicate card, a member is already listed on another ration card in Uttarakhand or another state.
• Residence not established in Uttarakhand.
• Aadhaar not provided or not seeded for family members.
• Household falls under NFSA, so it is enrolled there rather than under the State Food Scheme.

Most rejections are resolved by removing the duplicate entry, surrendering an old card, or completing the Aadhaar seeding of family members.

Help and grievance redressal

• Department: Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Uttarakhand; grievance redressal is listed on fcs.uk.gov.in.
• Local supply office / Fair Price Shop: the first point of contact for card and grain issues.
• Uttarakhand CM Helpline: 1905, for grievances not resolved at the department level.

Applying for or updating a ration card is free through the department's own services. Because the monthly quota and the subsidised rate under the State Food Scheme are set by government orders that change over time, confirm the current quota and rate with the department or your Fair Price Shop before relying on a figure.