Punjab cancelled 2.87L ration cards in 3 yrs, Haryana 2.91L, Himachal 59K

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 27

The Punjab Government deleted 2,87,474 bogus ration cards between 2018 and 2020 as part of a national exercise to weed out ineligible beneficiaries under the National Food Safety Act.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said 92 per cent of all ration cards had already been verified across the country by way of seeding with Aadhaar numbers.

Minister of State for Food Nitesh Ganga Deb said, 2,87,474 ration cards were cancelled in Punjab, 2,91,926 in Haryana, 59,435 in Himachal Pradesh and 30,521 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Punjab deleted 34,972 ration cards in 2018, 94,031 in 2019 and 1,58,471 in 2020. Haryana deleted 2,91,926 ration cards in 2018 and none thereafter. Chandigarh did not cancel any ration card during that period.

Himachal Pradesh cancelled 56,858 ration cards in 2018, 367 in 2019 and 2,210 in 2020. J&K cancelled 3,428 ration cards in 2018, 13,869 in 2019 and 13,224 in 2020.