Ration card marked PHH or AAY decides your monthly grain quota
Whether a ration card is marked PHH or AAY determines how much subsidised grain a household gets each month
Many people think a ration card is simply a document for buying cheap grain. That is not the case. What is written on the card decides exactly how much grain a household is entitled to. Most people do not even know whether their card is a PHH card or an AAY card, and that gap in awareness lets shopkeepers hand over less grain than is due, often without the customer noticing. This is why every ration card holder needs to know this detail.
PHH stands for Priority Household. This card is given to families the government considers in need of support. Under this category, each person in the household is entitled to 5 kg of grain, so the total depends on family size. For example, a household of four should get 4 times 5, or 20 kg of grain a month. A household of five would get 25 kg. The rule is simple: the more members in the family, the more grain.
The other category is AAY, or Antyodaya Anna Yojana. This scheme is meant for the poorest households, families that are economically very weak and have no other means of support.
The rule for AAY cardholders is entirely different. Grain is not given per member but as a fixed quota for the whole family, 35 kg of grain. Whether the household has 2 people or 6, it gets 35 kg. This is the key difference between PHH and AAY: in one, the grain quantity rises with each member, while in the other, the quantity is fixed for the whole family.
A few things are worth keeping in mind while collecting ration. First, check the card itself to see whether it says PHH or AAY. The card's colour, whether yellow, saffron or white, does not matter; what matters is what is printed on it. Next, calculate in advance how much grain the family should receive based on the number of members. After collecting the ration, always take a receipt from the shopkeeper, since it records how much grain was given. If the amount given seems short, a complaint can be filed at the tehsil office or the food supply department. It is also worth periodically checking that all the details on the card are correct, since names are sometimes added or removed incorrectly.
In short, knowing what is written on your card matters, otherwise a shopkeeper could shortchange you. So check your ration card today to see whether it says PHH or AAY, and work out how much grain you are entitled to.
