Crackdown on fake ration card holders

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 3

In order to detect fake ration card holders, the Relief Organisation (Migrants) has decided to stop cash benefits to families who fail to submit their Aadhaar details by October.

The submission of 12-digit unique identity number was made mandatory in 2017 for the implementation of the direct benefit transfer mode adopted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to release cash benefits to the militancy displaced people from the Kashmir valley to check corruption. Earlier, the cash relief was released through cheque.

Zonal officers have been directed to prepare a list of people who have not submitted their Aadhaar and address proof and publish the same in each zonal office so that an appropriate action can be taken. The Relief Organisation (Migrants) is looking after the welfare of 3.50 lakh people, especially the displaced Kashmir Pandits and 3,000 Muslim and Sikh families, who were uprooted from their houses after the eruption of separatist insurgency in 1989-90.

As many as 19,843 families are getting free ration and cash assistance (Rs 3,250 per person and maximum of Rs 13,000 per family).

“There are clear directions to track people who may have made fake ration cards to get benefits. We want to streamline the system so that actual beneficiaries can get be benefitted,” said an official in the relief department.

There has been widespread allegation of frauds committed by some officials in the past, allowing some non-migrants to get registered, especially workers of political parties on the recommendations of ministers and MLAs from the Kashmir valley.

“We will come out with a detailed list of people who are not submitting their details, including Aadhaar card number and address. It will make payments more transparent. We have given enough time to people to comply with the norms,” said ML Raina, Relief Commissioner (Migrants).

Free ration and cash relief is provided mostly to farmers or those working in private sector in the Valley, who had no avenuesto sustain their lives inthe camps of Jammu. However, the displaced government employees don’t get any benefits.