Kerala Ration Card

Ration card is a multi-purpose legal document. Civil Supplies Department of the Kerala Government issues ration card to the citizens of Kerala. The main benefit of ration card is that it enables the holder to procure all subsidies provided by the Kerala Government. Ration cardholders can purchase all essential commodities for daily needs at highly subsidized prices. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining a Kerala ration card.

Benefits of Ration Card

The benefits of holding a Ration Card are discussed below:

Multi-purpose document

The ration card can be linked to the Aadhaar card, which in turn can be linked to a bank account, thus serving as a multi-purpose legal document that facilitates several tasks.

Government Subsidies

The government of Kerala provides a subsidy for essential food items and commodities for ration cardholders. The essential food items, goods and commodities that the authorities supply to the ration card holders are listed below:

Foodgrains

Rice and Wheat
Sugar

Petroleum Products

Kerosene
LPG

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is supplied for Agricultural Lands

Serves as Address Proof

The ration card serves as the legal identity proof required by the Government of Kerala. Ration card serves as an authenticated identity proof for the entire family since it comprises of parent, family member and children details.

Ration card can be produced as proof while buying a property in Kerala
Ration can be submitted as address proof while applying for loans in the bank
Passport and PAN application also take ration card as identity or address proof

Kerala Ration Card Types

Kerala ration cards spot four different colours. Types of ration card in Kerala are tabulated below:

Ration Card Colour	Beneficiaries	Subsidy On Foods and Commodities
Yellow Card	Most economically backward section of society. Antyodaya Anna Yojana Beneficiaries	35 kg of Food Grains completely free of cost Rice – 28Kg Wheat – 75 kg
Pink Card	Priority or Below Poverty Line (BPL)	5 kg of Food Grains completely free for each member of the family. Rice – 4Kg Wheat – 1Kg
Blue Card	Non – Priority subsidy or Above Poverty Line (APL)	2 kg rice at Rs. 2 per kg per person
White Card	Non – Priority	Rice – 8.90 Kg Wheat – 6.70 Kg

Documents Required to Apply for Kerala Ration Card

The following documents need to be furnished at the time of application:

Ration card application form
Certificate from Ward Councillor in the prescribed format to be submitted
Date of the birth proof – Birth certificate or SSLC book can be submitted
Identity proof – Adhaar card, Voter ID, PAN card or passport can be submitted
Passport size photograph of the family head

Apply for Ration Card in Kerala

A resident of Kerala can apply for Ration card by following methods:

Through Akshaya Centers
Offline through TSO or DSO office
Online through the Civil Supplies Department website

Kerala Ration Card Application through Akshaya Centers

Follow these simple steps to get the new ration card through Akshaya Centers in Kerala: Step 1: Visit the nearest Akshaya Customer Service Centre (CSC). Step 2: Submit all the documents mentioned above to the CSC person in the centre. Note: Existing ration cards, if any, should be submitted along with the documents. Step 3: After verifying all documents furnished by the applicant, the CSC person will take the digital photo. Step 4: Pay fee for ration card application and service charge of Akshaya Centers.

Kerala Ration Card Application Offline through TSO or DSO Office

Procedure to apply for new ration card through TSO or DSO office is described here: Step 1: Go to the TSO or DSO office nearby. Step 2: Get an application for new ration card. (Fee for ration card application is Rs. 5) Step 3: Fill the application and submit the application form along with all documents to the officer. Step 4: Officer will verify all the details furnished by the applicant and new ration card will be issued. It will take 15 days to issue new ration card.

Kerala Ration Card Application Online through the Civil Supplies Department website

Procedure to submit online applications for a new ration card or modifications of existing ration cards is given here: Step 1: Go to the home page of the Civil Supplies Department of Kerala Step 2: If the applicant has any ration card, they need to register on the website by providing barcode number. (It is in the last page of the ration card) Step 3: If the applicant wants to apply for a new ration card select number from the option. Step 4: The applicant has to fill all mandatory details. Step 5: Submit the application form for registration. Step 6: To activate the account, click on the activation link shown on the page. Step 7: After activation, login to the site using the user ID and password. Step 8: For the new ration card application, the following three options will be displayed:

Issue of new ration card
Non Inclusion certificate
Non-Renewal certificate

Step 9: In the case of modifications of existing, thirteen functions will be displayed on the screen. Step 10: Select the appropriate option from the menu. Step 11: Click on the New Application link for new ration card. Step 12: Provide all mandatory details. Step 13: Upload all documents as mentioned above in PDF format (maximum 250KB). Step 14: Verify all details once again and submit the application form. Step 15: The applicant can take print of the application. Note the application number for future purpose. Step 16: Submit the application form along with all documents to the TSO nearby. Step 17: Once applied, log in to the portal to check the status of the application. Step 18: If the application is approved, the applicant needs to pay the fee for the application. Ration card will be issued after processing.