Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), a total of 19.17 crore ration cards have been issued so far, covering 76.10 crore beneficiaries across the country.
For the first time, the Central Government has identified those ration card holders who are not eligible for the benefits of the free foodgrain scheme. These beneficiaries include income tax payers, owners of four-wheelers, and directors of companies. The Department of Food and Public Distribution has prepared this list by matching the details of ration card holders with government databases from the Income Tax Department, Ministry of Road Transport, and Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
During this investigation, it was found that 94.71 lakh ration card holders are taxpayers, 17.51 lakh are four-wheeler owners, and 5.31 lakh are company directors. In total, about 1.17 crore card holders have been found to be ineligible. The Centre has now asked states to conduct verification at the ground level and remove these ineligible card holders from the list by 30 September.
It is important to note that this list has already been provided at the local level to block headquarters. People availing benefits under PDS can check their status by accessing the list from there.
A Food Department official told The Indian Express, “The Centre has shared this data to help states so that ineligible beneficiaries can be removed and real needy people from the waiting list can be included. Reviewing ration cards, removing ineligible or duplicate cards, and including eligible beneficiaries is the responsibility of the states.”
It should be noted that under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 19.17 crore ration cards have been issued so far, covering a total of 76.10 crore beneficiaries across the country. According to the rules, government employees, families with an annual income of Rs 1 lakh or more, four-wheeler owners, and taxpayers are not eligible for free ration.
In a letter sent to states and union territories on 8 July 2025, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra stated that this exercise is being carried out to ensure that ration reaches the right people. He wrote that the ministry has identified ineligible beneficiaries by matching data from agencies such as CBDT, CBIC, MCA, MoRTH, and PM-Kisan.
Chopra said, “With the accuracy of the database, real deprived families will benefit, and transparency in the public distribution system will be ensured. This work should be completed by 30 September 2025.”
In July, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha that between 2021-23, a total of 1.34 crore “fake/ineligible” ration cards had already been cancelled. Currently, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), ration card holders are receiving foodgrains completely free of cost.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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