SRINAGAR: The Government of India has cancelled over 1,27,872 fake and duplicate Public Distribution System (PDS) ration cards in Jammu and Kashmir since 2013. In Ladakh, 702 such ration cards have been cancelled. This initiative is part of a broader nationwide drive to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries through digitisation, Aadhaar linking, and e-KYC verification.
Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, the 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 from 2013 to 2024. This includes 1,93,54,572 cancellations in Uttar Pradesh, the highest among states, and 12,578 in Mizoram, the lowest. Among Union Territories, Delhi leads with 3,27,297 cancellations, while Ladakh has the fewest at 702. These measures aim to ensure the “rightful targeting” of food subsidies, minimising leakages and improving the delivery of food grains to eligible beneficiaries.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Aadhaar seeding of ration cards has nearly reached 100%, enabling the identification of ineligible records due to reasons such as permanent migration, duplicate entries, and deaths. Nationwide, 65 per cent of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) have completed e-KYC verification. The Government is urging states and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, to expedite this process to streamline the distribution of free food grains to the 80.67 crore people currently benefiting under PMGKAY.
The Government is also prioritising food security through the introduction of fortified rice under schemes like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM Poshan. Jammu and Kashmir has fully implemented this initiative, ensuring fortified rice reaches all districts under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
