WB Ration Card – West Bengal Ration Card Eligibility And How To Apply

Any person can apply for a WB ration card, if they satisfy the below criteria:
1. The applicant must have permanent residence in West Bengal.
2. The applicant should not hold any other ration card in West Bengal or any other State. However, applicants holding and expired ration card or holding temporary ration card can apply.
3. The applicant must be a citizen of India
4. Newly married couple can apply provided they reside permanently in West Bengal and are not included in any other ration card

You will need the below basic information/ documents to apply for WB ration card:
1) Application form filled and signed (for offline application)
2) Aadhaar Card
3) Income certificate
4) Voter Id/ EPIC Number
5) PAN
6) Old ration card (as applicable if applying for Digital Ration Card)
8) Residence Certificate
9) Details of members of the household
9) Valid mobile no. for online application

There are 5 types of ration card in West Bengal:
1) AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana card)
2) PHH (Priority Household card)
3) SPHH (Priority Household card with Sugar)
4) RKSY 1 (Rajya Khadya Suraksha Yojana 1)
5) RKSY 2 (Rajya Khadya Suraksha Yojana 2)

The following benefits are available for beneficiaries under each type of ration card in West Bengal:

The RKSY 1 and RKSY 2 category of WB ration cards are issued by the State Government of West Bengal. The RKSY 1 and RKSY 2 cards are for those who do not hold an AAY or PHH/SPHH cards. 
Under the WB ration card under RKSY-1 each household is entitled to (i) 2 kg of Rice per member at  Rs. 2/- per kg; and (ii) 3 kg wheat per member at Rs. 2 per kg.
Under the WB ration card under RKSY-2, each household is entitled to (i) 1 kg of rice per member at Rs. 13/ kg; and (ii) 1 kg of wheat per member at Rs. 9/ kg.

RKSY-I ration card is issued by the State of West Bengal under the Rajya Khadya Suraksha Yojana. This is similar to the erstwhile BPL cards. Under this card, each household will be entitled to rice and wheat as below:
(i) 3 kg wheat per member at Rs. 2 per kg; and 
(ii) 2 kg of rice per member at  Rs. 2/- per kg.

The State of West Bengal issues a ration card under the Rajya Khadya Suraksha Yojana, called the RKSY-II, similar to the PHH card. Each household covered under this card, will be entitled to wheat and rice as below:
(i) 1 kg of Rice per member at  Rs. 13/- per kg; and 
(ii) 1 kg wheat per member at Rs. 3 per kg.

The eligibility for WB ration card of RKSY-1 is determined considering two factors
A) If the applicant falls under any of the eligibility conditions, called deprivation criteria; and
B) The applicant does not fall under any if the auto-exclusion indices.
The deprivation criteria relevant for an applicant in a rural area is:
1) Applicant living in Household without any shelter
2) Where applicant lives on alms or is a destitute 
3) Applicant’s livelihood is manual scavenging
4) applicant belongs to Primitive Tribal Groups
5) if applicant was a bonded laborer who has been legally released 
6) if household of the applicant has only one room with walls and roof both kucha.
7) if the household of the applicant has no adult member aged between 16 to 59.
8) If the household of the applicant is headed by a female, and there is no adult male aged between 16 to 59.
9) if the household of the applicant has any disabled member and does not have any able bodied adult.
10) if the applicant household is from SC or ST category.
11) if the household of the applicant does not have any literate adult above 25 years.
12) If the applicant is from a landless household and gets major part of income from manual casual labor.
13) If none of the above is applicable to the applicant but the family is insolvent, seeks to get ration food-grains 
 
The auto-exclusions indices for applicants in rural area are:
1. Owning a motorized 2 / 3/ 4 Wheeler or Fishing boat (which require registration).
2. Owning a mechanized 3/ 4 wheeler agricultural equipment.
3. Household with any member as Government Employee
4. Household with a government registered non-agricultural enterprise
5. Household with any member earning more than Rs. 15,000 per month. 
6. Household where a member pays income tax or professional tax. 
7.  Household with 3 or more rooms, all having pucca walls and pucca roof.
8. Applicant owning refrigerator.
9. Applicant owning landline phone.
10. Household owning 2.5 acres or more irrigated land with at least one irrigation equipment such as diesel / electric operated tubewell or bore well.
11. Owns land of five acres or more, irrigated for 2 or more crop seasons.

An applicant for WB ration card RKSY-1 is considered eligible, based on the following:
A) The applicant does not fall under any of the auto-exclusion indices prescribes; and
B) The applicant satisfies any of prescribed deprivation criteria  
The deprivation criteria prescribed for urban area for a RKSY-1 card are:
1. The applicant’s family lives in house with wall and roof made of grass/wood/straw/mud/bamboo
2. The applicant’s family lives in house with roofs covered with GI/Tali/ Asbestos/Tin and having wall made of un-burnt brick or earthen wall or wall of wood/stone.
3. The applicant does not have any drinking water source near the house
4. There is no electric connection for the applicant’s family
5. The applicant’s family does not have a concrete latrine
6. The head of applicant’s family is a female and the family does not have any male member aged between 16-59 years 
7. The applicant’s family belongs to SC or ST category
8. The applicant’s family has no adult member who is literate
10. The applicant’s family does not have any adult member with primary education
11. The applicant’s family has any handicapped member or member suffering from any prolonged diseases.
12. Applicant falls under any of the following occupation categories: a) Hawker, Cobbler, Peddler b) Security Guard, Plumber, Construction worker, Mason, Labor, Dyer, Welder c) Worker, Maid Servant, Tailor d) Driver, Conductor, Transport labor, Helper of the Driver and Conductor, Helper, Rickshaw Puller, Garowan e) Chowkider, Washerman f) Porter, Coolie
13. The head of the applicant’s family falls under any of following occupation categories: Repairing workmen, Mechanic, Electric mechanic, Staff of a shop, Sahayak, Ardali, Waiter, Helper, Peon of a small concern. 
14. The head of the applicant’s family works on daily or weekly wage
15. The applicant’s family does not have any permanent job and their source of income is mainly from pension, rent and/or interest 
16. If the applicant is from a shelterless family
17. If the applicant’s family lives in a single room with Kachha wall and Kachha roof
18. If the applicant lives in Destitution or dependent on Gardening, begging, Scavenging, Rag-picking, Sweeping,
19. If the applicant’s family does not have any income
12. If all adult members of the applicant household who do not have regular work or work on daily wage basis
13. If the head of the applicant’s family is minor
14. If all adult members of the applicant’s family, within the age between 18-60 years are either handicapped or have been suffering from prolonged diseases
15. If all members of the applicant’s family are above 65 years or are either handicapped or have been suffering from prolonged diseases

Even if the applicant satisfied under any of the above deprivation criteria, the applicant will not be eligible for a RKSY-1 card, if any of the below auto-exclusion indices apply:
1) If the applicant family owns a house with 3 or more rooms, made of concrete wall and roof.
2)  If the applicant family owns any of the following:  
a)  motorized 4 wheeler car
b)  Air Conditioner
c)  Desktop computer or laptop with internet facilities
3) If the applicant family owns any 3 of the below items: 
a) Refrigerator
b)  Washing Machine
c)  Telephone (Landline)
d) Motorized 2 wheeler
4) If any member of the applicant’s family is a government employee.
5) If the applicant or member of the household pays Income Tax or Professional Tax.

To change a RKSY-2 card to RKSY-1, you need to ensure that you are eligible for a RKSY-1. Depending on if you live in Urban or Rural area, you can check your eligibility, by checking the answers we have given to earlier questions on eligibility for RKSY-1.

If you qualify for a RKSY-1, follow these steps to change your RKSY-2 card to RKSY-1:
1) Download the Form VIII-R if you are in rural area or Form VIII-U if you are in an urban area. You can download the relevant form from the portal here.
2) Fill the form and sign it.
3) Submit the duly filled and signed form along with necessary supporting documents to your nearest Seva Kendra.

To make ration services available online, State of West Bengal have started issuing all new ration cards in the digital format, especially the ration cards issued under Rajya Khadya Suraksha Yojana Scheme (RKSY cards)

The following are eligible for a digital ration card in West Bengal :
1) any resident of the State of West Bengal, who does not hold any other ration card can apply. However, permanent residents of West Bengal who hold either a temporary ration card or an expired ration card can apply. 
3) recently married couple, permanently residing in State of West Bengal can apply if they do not hold any other ration card.

We give you below the step by step process on how to apply for West Bengal digital ration card online.
Step 1 – Visit the Egiye Bangla Ration Card Life Cycle Management Portal at www.wbpds.wb.gov.in.  
Step 2 – Click on the option “E-Citizen” and select the dropdown option “Apply For Ration Card”.

Step 3 – You will be required to enter the applicant’s mobile number. Ensure that the mobile number entered is that of the applicant and not anybody else.
Step 4 – Verify the mobile number using the OTP by clicking ‘Proceed’
Step 5 – You need to select ‘NO’ as the answer for the question if any of your family members hold a ration card. If you choose ‘yes’, you cannot proceed with the application.
Step 6 – Choose the option ‘Subsidized Foodgrains’ to get subsidised ration. If you need the ration card only for identity purpose, you can click on that option.
Step 7 – Select the ‘Rural’ or ‘Urban’ area, depending on where you live.
Step 8 – Next you will be required to certify that none of the auto-exclusion indices apply to you. Read each carefully and click on all the items listed to confirm that none of the indices listed apply to you. 
Step 9 – Next you need to select the deprivation criteria applicable to you. Click on each of the applicable deprivation criteria. Then click ‘Next’.
Step 10 – Fill in your address details correctly. All columns marked with the red star need to be mandatorily filled.
Step 11 – Next select the details of your nearest ration shop (fair price shop). 
Step 12 –  Enter your primary mobile number and secondary number (optional), WhatsApp number (optional) and email id (optional). Once you enter the details, click on ‘GET OTP’, and once you get the OTP, enter it and click on ‘Validate’
Step 13 – Enter the details of head of your family correctly. If you are the head of the family, you can enter your details. Make to fill all the mandatory columns correctly. You can click on ‘NEXT’ if you do not need to add any more members. If you need to add more members, follow the below step.
Step 14 – If you need to other members of your family on the ration card, by clicking on ‘Add More Member’, and then fill in their details. Once you fill in details of all additional members, click on ‘NEXT’.
Step 15 – The details you entered will be displayed. You need to confirm the contents and click on ‘PROCEED’. Once you submit you cannot make any corrections.
Step 16 – Next, you need to upload the mandatory documents indicated. You can also upload any optional documents indicated. You will be required to confirm whether Aadhaar is your address proof. If Aadhar is not your address proof, you need to upload you address proof as additional document, in the space provided. All documents need to be uploaded in JPEG, JPG or PDF format and the file size should not exceed 100kb.
Step 17 – Once you successfully upload documents, Click on ‘NEXT’.
Step 18 – You need to tick the option certifying that all contents included are correct. 
Step 19 – Click on ‘GET OTP’ and once you enter the OTP click on ‘SUBMIT OTP’. This completes your application process. You can download and save the application for future reference.

Although there is an option in the Egiye Bangla portal under ‘Features’ to ‘Check Ration Card Application Status’, the same requires a login id and password. The designated Login ID and Password will only be available to the officials of the West Bengal PDS.

Hence, currently the West Bengal ration card status check facility is not available for citizens. We will update this once the status check facility is available either on the Egiye Bangla ration card portal or the Egiye Bangla portal for Department of Food and Supplies.

You can get a non-subsidized West Bengal or WB ration card online, through a fresh application even if you do have any existing ration card. You need to follow these steps to apply for a non-subsidized ration card.
Step 1 – Visit the Egiye Bangla Ration Card Life Cycle Management Portal 
Step 2 – Scroll down and click on the link provided to apply for Non-Subsidized ration card or Conversion to Non-Subsidized Ration Card.

Step 3 – You need enter your valid mobile number and generate an OTP, and click on ‘VALIDATE’.
Step 4 – Once you verify the mobile number, you need to select the option ‘New Applicant’. If you have an existing card, your application will be treated as application for conversion of existing digital ration card.
Step 5 – Next, you need to enter your address details. Ensure that the address is provided correctly as your ration card will be delivered to this address. All columns marked in red star are mandatory.
Step 6 – You need to select your nearest Fair Price Shop i.e. ration shop. 
Step 7 – Next you need to enter your personal details. If you are the head of the family, select the option ‘Head’ from the drop down menu. Else, select your relationship to the head of the family. Then click on ‘SHOW MEMBER’.
Step 8 – Once the details of the member is displayed, verify the same. If you need add more members on the card, click on the option ‘ADD ANOTHER MEMBER’. You can click on the option ‘Show Member’ after each addition to check the details.
Step 9 – Once you have added all members, click on ‘SAVE AND VIEW APPLICATION’.
Step 10 –  The details of the application will be displayed. You can verify the details again and then tick the declaration to confirm that the details are correct.
Step 11 –  Enter the captcha sum correctly and click on ‘SUBMIT’.
Step 12 –  Make a note of the Application number for future use. You can also download the application by clicking on ‘DOWNLOAD APPLICATION’
 
You can find a useful document to guide you on how to fill the application here.

You can convert your subsidized ration card online. You need to follow these steps for conversion to a non-subsidized ration card.
Step 1 – Visit the Egiye Bangla Ration Card Life Cycle Management Portal at www.wbpds.wb.gov.in.
Step 2 – Scroll down and click on the link provided to apply for Non-Subsidised ration card or Conversion to Non-Subsidized Ration Card.

Step 3 – You need enter your valid mobile number and generate an OTP, and click on ‘VALIDATE’.
Step 4 – Once you verify the mobile number, you need to click on the option ‘Existing Digital Ration Card Holder’.
Step 5 – You will be required to enter your address details, as well as your existing ration card number and the category of your ration card. All columns marked in red star are mandatory.
Step 6 – From the ration card details displayed, you need to tick the box next to the ration card number you choose to convert, and click on ‘VIEW SELECTED LIST”.
Step 7 – Fill the details of the head of the family as indicated and click on ‘SAVE and VIEW’
Step 8 – Tick the declaration confirming that the details entered by you are correct.
Step 9 – Enter the captcha and click on ‘SUBMIT’.
Step 10 – Take note of the application number for future reference. You can also click on the ‘Download Application’ to download the application for future reference.
 
You can view a useful manual to help you fill the application here.

1) Visit the Egiye Bangla Ration Card Life Cycle Management Portal.
2) Once you scroll down you can download the appropriate application form. Form- X(R) is to be used if you live in a rural area. Applicants living in an urban area need to use Form-X(U).

3) Take a print of the application, fill it up appropriately and sign it.
4) Submit the filled and signed application form along with relevant documents to the Inspector of Food and Supplies. 

1) Visit the Egiye Bangla Ration Card Life Cycle Management Portal.
2) Click on ‘E-Citizen’ and select “View Ration Card Count (NFSA & State Scheme).

3) On the State level report displayed, click on your district name. The district level report will be displayed.

4) On the district level report, click on the name of your Tehsil/ Block. The Tehsil/ Block level report will be displayed, with names of all Fair Price Shops (ration shops).

5) On the Tehsil/ Block Level report click on the name of your ration shop.

6) Once you click on the name of your ration shop you can view the list of all West Bengal ration card holders under that ration chop, along with the details.

There are two toll free numbers to file complaint or even ask queries. You can call anytime between 8 am to 8 pm, on all days excluding Sundays. The toll-free numbers are 198 and 1800-345-5505.

Once you lodge a complaint by calling the toll free numbers 198 or 1800-345-5505, you will be allotted a special ID number. 
You can check the status of your complaint here. You will need to enter the ID number allotted to you and your mobile number, and you’ll be able to view the status of your complaint.

You can locate your nearest ration shop/ FPS in West Bengal here. You need to select the appropriate options from the dropdown menu under each entry. Then click on ‘Display FPS’. You can download the list of your nearby ration shops by clicking on ‘Export to Excel’.

The State of West Bengal has prescribed different forms, for various purposes related to West Bengal ration cards. You can find the details of each West Bengal ration card form below: