Jammu: Over 1,27,872 fake and duplicate ration cards have been cancelled in Jammu and Kashmir since 2013, with 702 cancelled in Ladakh, as part of a nationwide drive to enhance the Public Distribution System (PDS). The initiative includes Aadhaar linking, e-KYC verification, and digitization of ration cards to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries.
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, informed the Rajya Sabha that 5.87 crore ration cards were cancelled across India between 2013 and 2024, including 1.93 crore in Uttar Pradesh and 12,578 in Mizoram. Among Union Territories, Delhi saw the highest cancellations at 3.27 lakh, while Ladakh recorded the lowest at 702.
The Aadhaar seeding of ration cards in J&K has reached nearly 100%, helping identify ineligible beneficiaries due to migration, duplicate entries, or deaths. Additionally, 80.67 crore people nationwide are receiving free food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), with e-KYC completion for 65% of beneficiaries.
