SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has cancelled a total of 2,671 ration cards during the financial year 2025–26, with an overwhelming majority of deletions reported from the Jammu division.
Official figures show that 2,154 ration cards were cancelled in the Jammu division, compared to 517 in the Kashmir division, pointing to a significantly higher scale of verification and rationalisation exercise in the former.
Within the Jammu division, Jammu district recorded the highest number of cancellations at 580 ration cards. It was followed by Doda with 254 cancellations and Rajouri with 223. Ramban reported 170 cancellations, while Poonch accounted for 140. Other districts including Kathua, Udhampur, Samba and Kishtwar also contributed to the overall tally, reflecting a widespread drive across the region.
In the Kashmir division, Baramulla emerged as the most affected district with 342 ration cards cancelled, forming a substantial share of the division’s total. Kupwara reported 63 cancellations, while Anantnag recorded 39 and Srinagar 19. Pulwama and some other districts reported minimal deletions, indicating a relatively limited scale of the exercise in the Valley.
The cancellations span across beneficiary categories including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Priority Household (PHH) and Non-Priority Household (NPHH), suggesting that the verification process covered the entire spectrum of the public distribution system.
Officials said the exercise is part of an ongoing effort to cleanse beneficiary databases by removing ineligible, duplicate or outdated entries, and to ensure that food subsidies are directed towards genuine beneficiaries. The process is being carried out through periodic verification drives across districts.
The data highlights a continued administrative push to streamline the public distribution system in Jammu and Kashmir, with further verification exercises likely as part of efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency.
