SRINAGAR: The Government says no deserving family has been left out under the National Food Security Act after an extensive verification drive that audited 8,84,000 doubtful beneficiaries, modified the category of more than 50,000 households and deleted over 6,000 entries from the rolls, the House was told. In the last two years the department has also imposed and recovered Rs 35,06,092 in fines from defaulting fair price shop dealers.
The figures were provided in a written reply to a starred question tabled by Pirzada Farooq Ahmed Shah and placed before the Assembly by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. The department said the National Food Security Act has been in force in Jammu and Kashmir since February 2016 and that review and cleansing of the beneficiary database is an ongoing exercise. Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Jammu and Kashmir
Under the recent verification drive, the department reported it had examined some 8.84 lakh doubtful beneficiaries and, on the basis of that exercise, modified the categories of more than 50,000 beneficiaries and removed in excess of 6,000 names from the NFSA database. The reply said all additions, deletions and modifications are carried out under the provisions of S.O. 389 dated Nov 16, 2021, and follow “proper verification of genuine/deserving beneficiaries”.
On targeted support, the department said no Antyodaya Anna Yojana ration cards were issued in the last two years, but 17,288 Priority Household (PHH) ration cards were modified or issued during that period — 6,125 in the Jammu division and 11,163 in the Kashmir division. The Assembly reply enclosed district-wise tables of coverage and ration card counts.
Responding to questions about exclusion, the department told the House it had received no formal complaints of eligible families being left out and asserted that “all eligible beneficiaries have been enrolled/included in the Public Distribution System database as per extant rules”. The reply added that beneficiary review is continuous and aimed at ensuring only those eligible receive entitlements.
The government also set out enforcement action against suppliers, saying punitive measures have been taken in cases of violation: fines totalling Rs 3,506,092 were imposed and recovered from erring fair price shop dealers in the last two years.
The Assembly record shows the department regards the verification and deletion exercise as part of a broader data-cleansing and targeting effort. The reply said further additions, deletions or category changes will continue to be processed on bonafide requests and in accordance with statutory guidelines.
