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JAMMU: The integration of migrant ration cards into the National Food Security Act (NFSA) database has emerged as a significant step towards expanding the migrant community’s access to Government welfare and social security benefits. The process has progressively transformed the migrant ration card from an instrument of food entitlement only to an important gateway to a wider spectrum of welfare and social protection.
The exercise, founded on the Government’s policy framework, including S.O. 389 dated 16.09.2021 and S.O. 392 and S.O. 393, both dated 13.08.2024, has been pursued with the objective of bringing migrant families within the wider welfare architecture without compromising their existing entitlements, recognized migrant status or established relief provisions. The Relief & Rehabilitation Organization, in close coordination with the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Social Welfare Department and National Informatics Centre is facilitating the integration of nearly 50,000 migrant families into the national database, supported by extensive awareness, facilitation and field-level monitoring to facilitate the eligible migrants to avail benefits of social sector/welfare schemes.
The wider significance of the exercise lies in the new avenues of social security it has opened for migrant families. Integration with the national database has progressively removed barriers faced by eligible beneficiaries in accessing various social sector schemes like old-age, widow and disability pensions, marriage assistance, scholarships, Ayushman Bharat and other welfare measures.
About 5000 migrant families have been so far been facilitated through intensive IEC campaign aimed at door to door reach out and regular special outreach camps organized in all the migrant camps and prominent non-camp areas, targeted at potential beneficiaries identified for extending benefits under various social sector/welfare schemes, with a substantial number already receiving assistance following integration.
The extensive IEC (Information, Education and Communication) campaign continues to create awareness among migrant beneficiaries that the integration of migrant ration cards into the NFSA database is a welfare-oriented governance reform aimed at welfare inclusion, digitization and modernization of records, transparency, accountability and extension of social security benefits. Field officers stand instructed to ensure close supervision of e-KYC, integration of migrant ration cards and ration distribution at FPS level.
Through sustained public awareness, e-KYC facilitation, special camps, social media outreach and field-level coordination, the Relief & Rehabilitation Organization has continued to take the benefits to the grassroots. The impact is reflected in the latest implementation data. 2540 old-age pension cases, 200 widow pension cases and 150 disability pension cases have so far been sanctioned after due verification and processing. Besides, 03 SMAS cases and 03 tricycle cases for persons with disabilities have also been sanctioned. These outcomes reflect the widening reach of social security measures among eligible migrant families following their integration into the broader welfare delivery system. Worthwhile to mention that these benefits to the eligible migrants registered under the ‘Relief Category’ with the Relief Organization are in addition to the monthly cash assistance and free ration being provided under the Special Relief Ration Scheme notified vide Government Order No. 15-JK(FCS&CA) of 2026 dated 05-03-2026.
As a continuation of this beneficiary-centric outreach, another round of special awareness and facilitation camps is being organized at different migrant camps, zones and locations across J&K from 30.09.2026, under the overall supervision of Dr Arvind Karwani, Relief & Rehabilitation Commissioner (M), J&K.
The camps are aimed at facilitating eligible migrant families in completing requisite formalities, understanding their entitlements and accessing various social security and welfare schemes, thereby taking the benefits of the integration process closer to the grassroots and to more families who remain eligible for such assistance. The CSC Operators are available in these camps to facilitate migrants to fill various online applications. All facilitation will be available free of any cost to the migrants in these camps. The Relief & Rehabilitation Organization remains committed to ensuring that the expanded social security framework reaches every eligible migrant family.
