Two lakh fake ration card holders have been caught in Himachal Pradesh. symbolic photo
Jagran correspondent, Shimla. The impact of the verification campaign being run to make the Public Distribution System (PDS) transparent in Himachal Pradesh has started becoming visible. The number of ration card consumers in the state has decreased from about 72 lakh to 70 lakh. There were two lakh fake ration card holders in the state. In a thorough review conducted by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, a large number of ineligible cards were identified, which have been cancelled.
Fake cards were issued
According to departmental sources, this decline is the result of data purification and re-checking of eligibility. For a long time, the department was receiving complaints that many consumers were taking cheap ration who did not fall within the income criteria or in whose names duplicate cards were issued. In view of this, a special campaign of digital verification, Aadhaar seeding, family details matching and physical verification was conducted across the state.
What do department directors say?
IAS Ram Kumar Gautam, Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, said that the government's priority is to ensure food security to the needy families. During a comprehensive review of ration card data, beneficiaries found duplicate, ineligible and outside the income criteria have been removed from the list, he said. This process was necessary to increase transparency and make the PDS more effective.
Opportunity for re-verification also
He said that the rights of any eligible family will not be taken away and only the beneficiaries will get the full benefits of the schemes. The department has instructed the districts to give an opportunity to the consumers who have been excluded from the list due to technical reasons or lack of documentation, for re-verification.
Ration cards were also in the names of dead people
These cards have been canceled in case of financially prosperous families, those issued in the name of dead persons and if there are multiple cards belonging to the same family. Field level inspection has been intensified in various districts of the state including Shimla. The list is being updated by matching the records of fair price shops, family register and digital portal.
Verification will be done at regular intervals
The department has also indicated that verification will be done at regular intervals in future. The government claims that this strictness will increase transparency, accountability and trust in the PDS system. This step is being considered as a major administrative reform in further strengthening the food security system in the state under the policy of 'Right ration to the right beneficiary'.
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