A large-scale verification drive has uncovered 55.09 lakh suspicious ration cards in Gujarat over the past three years, exposing widespread irregularities in the distribution of free food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
According to data presented by the Union Food and Civil Supplies Department in the Rajya Sabha, many ineligible beneficiaries—including owners of luxury cars and bungalows, cultivable landholders, income tax payers and company directors—were found to have obtained ration cards meant for economically weaker families.
15.58 lakh bogus cards cancelled
Government records show that 15.58 lakh bogus ration cards have been cancelled in Gujarat during the last three years following verification.The Centre said the verification exercise was carried out by matching beneficiary data with records from the Income Tax Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Posts and Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), helping identify ineligible beneficiaries.
Questions over implementation
The findings have raised serious questions over how ineligible people continued to receive subsidised food grains for years and how the bogus ration cards were issued in the first place.Critics have sought accountability from officials responsible for issuing and verifying ration cards, alleging that such irregularities could not have continued without lapses in monitoring and enforcement.
Demand for strict action
Following the revelations, there are growing demands for strict legal action against those who fraudulently availed benefits meant for poor families. Citizens and activists have also called for recovery of the market value of food grains obtained illegally and registration of criminal cases against those found guilty of misusing the welfare scheme.