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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | PDS cleaning process: More than 50,000 fake ration cards cancelled in 2009-10 by Swati Mathur

PDS cleaning process: More than 50,000 fake ration cards cancelled in 2009-10 by Swati Mathur

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published Published on Sep 14, 2010   modified Modified on Sep 14, 2010

Nationwide discussions and intelligentsia offering solutions to clear the rot in the public distribution system appears to have drawn a naught in Uttar Pradesh. In March, officials from the department of food and civil supplies had acknowledged `serious flaw' in the government policy, and said that the process of issuing ration cards in the state was `too liberal'. Six months on, not much has changed in the state.

According to data provided by the department, UP has recorded nearly 12 lakh fake and ineligible ration cards in the last three years. These officials confirm, are only the tip of the iceberg. Commissioner, food and civil supplies, GoUP, Beena Kumari Meena, said: "The process of evaluating the data is a continuous one. Nearly 12 lakh ineligible cards have come to light up till now and are likely to grow.''

Government of India has set the upper limit for the number of BPL ration cards in UP at 1.06 crore. In the APL category, though, while an upper limit has not been fixed, the state figures are pegged at 3.38 crore. A senior NIC official, said: "When we started digitising data for our e-district programmes, we started noticing the rampant discrepancies. Cases that were spotted were cancelled immediately, while the remaining are still being examined.''

To stem the rot in the system, one of the methods devised by the department has been the inclusion of the name of the beneficiary's father on the ration card application form. But anticipating that the system would still not be foolproof, further instructions to include the mother's name have also been issued. In addition, the form now demands names of all members of a family, along with names of both parents.

But though the move is set to strengthen the system in future, for the moment, it has put a spanner in the works. Though applications had been invited for fresh issual of ration cards where discrepancies were noted, fresh application have now been sought in order to include mothers' names. A senior department official, said: "Yes, mother's name has to be included in the ration card now. The process of digitisation is going on.'' Currently, about 94% BPL and 92% Antyodaya ration card data has been digitised and made available online.

Significantly, a large part of the problem with the PDS system is attributed to the liberal process for obtaining a BPL ration card. In rural areas of the state, for getting a ration card, individuals can apply to the Block Development Officer (BDO). After receiving the applications, the BDO's office is responsible for conducting an enquiry into the application and verifying the applicants' details.

After corroboration, an Antyodaya (poorest of poor), Below Poverty Line (BPL) or Above Poverty Line (APL) ration card is issued to the beneficiary. Here, block and district level officers acknowledge that `managing' the investigation process is easy. This is where the administration has cracked the whip. As a part of the PDS cleansing process, the department, in 2009-10 alone, cancelled over 50,000 fake and ineligible ration cards. Now the attempt to clean the system further, continues.


The Times of India, 14 September, 2010, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/PDS-cleaning-process-More-than-50000-fake-ration-cards-cancelled-in-2009-10/articleshow/6549821.cms


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