Himachal Pradesh is a state in the northern part of the country and it has several hill stations located there. The state just like other parts of the country has a significant number of people who are living under the poverty line. The non-tourist season can bring more trouble to the people living below the poverty line and in addition to this, the food supplies can be an expensive affair. In such a case, people can use their basic right which is granted to them by food safety bill and they can get food supplies at subsidised rates with help of the ration card.
If you also live in Himachal Pradesh and if you do not have a ration card then do not worry as you can follow the process listed below to apply for ration card in the state.
Eligibility Criteria and Documents Required
The eligibility criteria to get the ration card in Himachal Pradesh is that the applicant should be residing in Himachal Pradesh and he or she should be 18 years old. Apart from this, there are certain documents required to get the ration card issued. We have listed the details of these documents below
- ID Proof – PAN Card, Driving Licence, Aadhaar Card
- Address Proof – Voter ID Card, Aadhaar Card, Driving Licence
- Date of Birth Proof – Birth Certificate, High School certificate or Other documents
- Passport Size Photos
These are the must have documents for all the members of the family. In addition to this, the head of the family needs to submit the income certificate as well. Lastly, it is mandatory for all citizen to submit Aadhaar card as well. A certificate from Panchayat Sahayak / Food and Supply Officer / Panchayat Secretary or such official is required to apply for the ration card as well.
The process to Apply for Ration Card
Himachal Pradesh still doesn’t supports online procedure to apply for the ration card. In such a case, you need to follow the offline procedure.
- To start the procedure, you need to download the form first. The form can be downloaded using the link below and you can also obtain the print out of the form. Alternatively, you can obtain the form by visiting the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in Himachal Pradesh
Link – http://food.hp.nic.in/pdfs/cardeng.pdf
- Once you have the application form, fill in all the details and attach the documents listed above. This is really required to move ahead with the procedure. Ensure that the details entered by you are correct.
- Post completion, the form should be submitted to the Head of the Office of Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in Himachal Pradesh. The applicant will get the acknowledgement slip which has the details of the application number and the probable date of receiving the ration card.
- There is a fee of Rs 5 which is the application of ration card and hence you would have to pay this while applying for ration card.
What happens after submission of Online / Offline Form?
Verification is the most important part of the application procedure as the government really wants to ensure that the benefits are delivered to the right people. So as to ensure this, your documents will be verified closely and there may also be a physical verification.
The ration card will only be issued after verification is successful. Presently, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for the ration card to be delivered at your home.
Steps to Track Ration Card
Since there is an absence of an online portal, you would need to track the application status offline. The best way to do this is by visiting the office where you submitted the form. They will give you the status and ensure that you are only visiting the office after the probable date of getting the ration card has been passed. In addition to this, you can also raise a complaint using this portal http://food.hp.nic.in/citizen.htm if the ration card has been delayed for no reason.
Conclusion
This was all about applying for ration card in Himachal Pradesh. In case of any query, reach out to the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs. They will be able to guide you with the solution that you are looking for.
Santosh Kumar, He is a SEO + Blogger have 12 years of experience in writing tutorial, informative and product reviews topics.
