Benefit transfer scheme nails over 1,000 bogus ration cards

Sumit Hakhoo
Tribune News Service
Jammu, October 17

Switching over to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system has led to the detection of more than 1,000 bogus ration cards. The beneficiaries were fraudulently withdrawing cash relief provided to displaced persons from the Kashmir valley and erstwhile Doda district.

Sources in the Relief and Rehabilitation Organisation said the government was mulling legal action to recover money from the defaulters who committed the fraud in convince with corrupt employees. They have allegedly embezzled crores of rupees being provided to J&K for security-related expenditure by the Central government since 1990.

Those who have been exposed in the scam include many government employees, pensioners, political workers, and displaced families having multiple ration cards.

“After the Aadhaar linking of bank accounts and shifting to the DBT, it became easy to detect fake ration cards. A complete list will be submitted to the government for action. We are waiting because many beneficiaries are yet to submit Aadhaar details,” said an official source in the relief and rehabilitation department.

Nearly 19,843 militancy-affected families entitled to cash relief were paid through cheques till 2016-17. A majority were Kashmiri Pandits, and 3,000 Sikh and Muslim families, who were forced to leave their homes by militants since 1990. There are about 1,600 families from Doda who receive cash relief and free ration.

When contacted, Relief Commissioner (Migrants) ML Raina said the department was processing the data of relief-holders. “I cannot share details about the case at this stage. We are preparing a report,” he said. Since August this year, the displaced people are getting a maximum of Rs 13,000 for a four-member family (Rs 3,250 per person). Till 2016-17, the relief holders were getting Rs 2,500 per person up to the maximum of Rs 10,000 per family.