11.29% holders of smart ration cards ineligible in Mohali dist

Tribune News Service

Gaurav Kanthwal

Mohali, February 6

In the ongoing re-verification of smart ration cards in Mohali district, the administration has found 12,741 beneficiaries ineligible, around 11.29% of the total 1,12,902 cards checked. As many as 1,00,161 cards (88.71%) have been found in order so far. There are a total of 1,21,912 cardholders in the district.

In Mohali subdivision, 4,748 cardholders have been found ineligible of the 29,194 (83.99 percent) verified. Similarly, 2,252 cards have been found invalid out of 37,623 verified in Kharar and 5,741 invalid out of 46,085 verified in Dera Bassi subdivisions.

Mohali Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain said: “There are many criteria to be fulfilled after which a beneficiary is added to the scheme. It remains to be seen what shortcomings remain in each case. Once the re-verification is complete, appropriate action will be taken against the ineligible cardholders.”

Officials said 92.61% of the re-verification had been completed, with Mohali (83.99%), Kharar (94.03%) and Dera Bassi (97.76%) finishing the statewide exercise shortly.

The smart ration cardholders get subsidised wheat on doorstep at Rs 2 per kg with no upper cap. Every member enrolled in smart ration card gets 5kg wheat per month.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department distributes foodgrain directly to the beneficiary, who gets wheat in jute bags (30 kg packing) to be retained by him. The scheme, covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), was launched in 2020 after cancelling the older ‘blue cards’, but the AAP government ordered a re-verification of the smart card after reports of irregularities.