Important news has emerged for ration card holders. The central government is preparing to make a major decision regarding the cards of citizens who have not received rations in the past six months. It is reported that approximately 15.8 million "inactive" ration cards in the country will be temporarily deactivated starting in October. Therefore, many people are wondering if their ration cards are on this list.

However, the card will not be cancelled outright. Initially, it will be temporarily deactivated. The beneficiaries will be given three months to prove their ration card and eligibility. During this time, the card can be reactivated by completing e-KYC.

According to the government, this process is being carried out to check the PDS database for duplicate cards, names of deceased individuals, migrated or ineligible beneficiaries. The government claims this will help ensure proper distribution of ration benefits to eligible citizens.

Previously, ration cards were also verified through Aadhaar seeding, digitization, and e-KYC. The Food Ministry stated that approximately 58 million ration cards had been removed from the PDS system in November 2024.

Meanwhile, some experts have expressed reservations about this process. Rajendran Narayanan, associate professor at Azim Premji University, said that instead of deactivating beneficiaries first, a local investigation is needed to determine why they haven't collected their rations.

According to the Food Department, 90.64 percent of ration beneficiaries had completed e-KYC as of July 30. Therefore, it will be important for ration card holders to ensure that their e-KYC is complete.

PC: SHABAD SANGRAM