Srinagar: The Central government has cancelled over 1.27 lakh fake and duplicate Public Distribution System (PDS) ration cards in Jammu and Kashmir since 2013 as part of a broader initiative to ensure the rightful targeting of food subsidies.
This action per minister of state, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, is in line with a nationwide effort to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries through digital verification methods, including Aadhaar linking, digitisation, and e-KYC.
According to details in Jammu and Kashmir, nearly 100% of ration cards have been Aadhaar-seeded, allowing the identification and removal of ineligible beneficiaries due to reasons such as migration, duplicate entries, and deaths. The minister said that 65% of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) have completed their e-KYC verification. He said that the government is also focused on improving food security by introducing fortified rice under schemes like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM Poshan. “Jammu and Kashmir has fully implemented this initiative, ensuring the distribution of fortified rice to all districts under the Targeted Public Distribution System,” he said—(KNO)
