Ludhiana: Over 34,000 ‘silent' beneficiaries to be removed from free ration scheme
According to officials, these beneficiaries have not availed their entitled free ration for over a year, putting them at risk of exclusion from the public distribution system under the Centre's 'One Nation One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme. The initiative aims to eliminate bogus and ineligible beneficiaries, ensuring transparency in ration distribution.
According to a notification issued by the Central government on March 17, 2023, all states and Union Territories were directed to launch a 100% e-KYC campaign at fair price shops under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The move is aimed to create space for the creation of new ration cards after weeding out the bogus one.
According to data, there are a total 86,875 beneficiaries in Ludhiana district that fall under the 'silent' category, those who have not availed their ration in recent months. Among them, 34,798 individuals have remained inactive for over a year, while another 52,077 have not claimed their entitlement for a period ranging from six months to a year.
With these figures, Ludhiana ranks highest in the state, accounting for a staggering 23% of Punjab's 3.72 lakh silent ration card holders.
A senior official from the district food and civil supplies department said that the cases of these inactive card holders have been under scrutiny as part of an ongoing verification drive.
'Many of them are suspected to have obtained ration cards for the sole purpose of availing other welfare benefits such as Ayushman cards, without ever collecting subsidised foodgrains. In some cases, beneficiaries have relocated and no longer reside in the district,' the official added.
Meanwhile, to prevent wrongful exclusion, the department has initiated efforts to reach out to such beneficiaries, urging them to complete their e-KYC before July 15. If they fail to do so, then it will result in their ration cards being frozen, and they will be barred from receiving the quarterly wheat allocation which is 15 kg per person, officials said.
When contacted, Sartaaj Singh Cheema, district food supplies controller (Ludhiana West), confirmed the development. 'Beneficiaries who have not availed their free ration for more than a year are likely to be excluded from subsidised wheat allocation for the July to September quarter. However, no such action will be taken against those whose inactivity ranges between six months to a year,' he said.
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