Ration card holders have received some excellent news. 5.8 crore ration cards have been taken out of the public distribution system by the central government. Following verification with Aadhaar and eKYC, the Central Government has identified over 5.8 crore counterfeit ration cards and subsequently annulled them.
In New Delhi, the Union Food Ministry stated that 5.8 crore fake ration cards have been eliminated from the PDS system serving 80.6 crore beneficiaries as a result of reforms involving Aadhaar authentication and electronic e-KYC. This has guaranteed that only individuals who meet the criteria are able to participate in the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Aadhaar verification is currently utilized for allocating roughly 98% of all food grains, thus decreasing the chances of fraud by eliminating unqualified recipients.
20.4 crore ration cards have been converted to digital format
Up to now, 20.4 crore ration cards have been converted to digital format, with 99.8% of them being connected to Aadhaar. Additionally, biometric authentication has been completed for 98.7% of individuals. The verification of 64 percent of PDS beneficiaries has been completed, and the process for the remaining beneficiaries is currently in progress at ration shops nationwide. In addition to this, the government has set up 5.33 lakh ePoS devices nationwide, which require Aadhaar verification for distributing rations. Because of this, the ration is no longer being deducted from the incorrect card.
The Central Government requires ration card holders to undergo e-KYC under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana in order to receive food grains such as wheat and rice for needy families. People who haven’t completed eKYC can visit the nearest PDS shop or Vasudha Kendra to complete their e-KYC by 31 December 2024. If e-KYC is not done within the given time limit, action can be taken to cancel the ration card of the eligible beneficiary, in which case they will be deprived of the ration received from the government.