2.86L ration card holders 'ineligible' in Punjab
Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, June 29
Around 2.86 lakh ration card holders were found ineligible across the state during a verification drive initiated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in September last year.
The information available with The Tribune shows 2,86,173 ration card holders have been found ineligible to get free wheat from the government.
14l persons affected
- 40,68,887 ration cards checked by the state Food and Supply Department
- 2,86,173 ration card holders found ineligible
- 14 lakh beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act won’t get free wheat now
- 3.82 lakh ration cards were cancelled during the previous Congress regime in the state
In all, 40,68,887 ration cards have been checked by the state Food and Supply Department since the verification drive was launched last year. These ration cards have now been cancelled, according to Food and Supply Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
With the cancellation of these ration cards, around 14 lakh beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) will not get free wheat now (5kg per beneficiary per month). Till October last year, the wheat was provided at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. However, it is being given for free now.
Earlier, wheat was distributed every six months, but now it is done every three months. Wheat for April-June block is being distributed these days and the ineligible beneficiaries are not getting it.
Complaints received
There are complaints that some ration cards have been cancelled erroneously. In case any genuine beneficiaries have been excluded, we will re-verify their cards and include them. Lal Chand Kataruchak, Minister
The minister said there were complaints that some ration cards had been cancelled erroneously. “In case any genuine beneficiaries have been excluded, we will re-verify their cards and include them,” he said.
The maximum number of ineligible ration card holders were found in Ludhiana district (46,016), followed Amritsar (36,159), Gurdaspur (21,302), Bathinda (20,273) and Hoshiarpur (17,880).
The idea to launch a verification of all ration cards originated after the video of a beneficiary, riding a Mercedes car, taking the subsidised wheat from a ration depot in Hoshiarpur went viral.
Even the Centre had imposed a cut on the total wheat allocated to Punjab since the third quarter of 2022-23. Against 2.36 lakh tonne wheat required to be distributed to 1.57 crore beneficiaries, the Centre had allocated just 2.12 lakh tonne wheat. That had also necessitated the verification of ration cards.
Max cases in Ludhiana
Druing the verification drive, the maximum number of ineligible ration card holders were found in Ludhiana district (46,016), followed Amritsar (36,159), Gurdaspur (21,302), Bathinda (20,273) and Hoshiarpur (17,880)
