Cancellation of over 1.27 lakh ration cards unwarranted: PDP

The PDP said that the cancellation of more than 1.27 lakh ration cards in J&K was “unwarranted and cruel”, and asked the government to revisit the move.

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In a post on X, party leader Iltija Mufti said the ration card holders were people living below the poverty line and the cancellation would cause “great distress” to several families. “The newly elected J&K government’s decision to cancel 1.27 lakh ration cards of BPL families is unwarranted & cruel. Hope they revisit this ill-timed order which has put people in great distress,” Mufti said.

In response to a query in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya revealed that 5.87 crore ration cards have been cancelled across the country between 2013 and 2024.

Among those, 1,27,872 ration cards were in J&K and were cancelled as part of efforts to ensure “rightful targeting” of food subsidies.

However, Mufti said these ration cards belonged to the “people living below the poverty line” which would cause problems for those families.

“What is surprising is that it is the same government that has promised in its manifesto to provide 10 kgs of flour and rice free every month,” she said in a video posted on X.

“My humble appeal to the J&K government would be to do not do this as there are four to five persons of a family on a single ration card. This can lead to distress in thousands of families,” Mufti added.

Another PDP leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para said the silence of the ruling NC over the issue was “shocking”. “Govt’s silence on this critical issue, despite big claims of increased ration quantities in their manifesto, is shocking & indicative of a tactical understanding,” Para said on X.