AAP govt. to verify ration card holders

Beneficiaries who have not availed of the food security scheme for three consecutive months will have to undergo verification before they can get ration again, the Delhi government’s Food and Civil Supplies Department has ordered recently.

Biometric system

After the Delhi government introduced an Aadhaar-linked biometric system for ration in January, the department found that many beneficiaries had not taken ration for two to three months. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain had in written instructions to the department in March ordered a hold on issuing new cards and cancelling old ones after receiving complaints of irregularities till further orders.

Recently, the department ordered a drive for verification of those ration card holders who have not taken ration from fair price shops for three consecutive months from January to March, an official said. If found genuine, the beneficiary would get ration in future, the official added.

Meanwhile, the department would continue its regular work of adding and deleting beneficiaries, the official added. In April, Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal had ordered a stop to the e-point of sale (e-POS) system that had been introduced in January, following demands from the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation.

In February, the Cabinet had decided to put a hold on the e-POS system, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claiming 2.5 lakh beneficiaries could not avail of ration after the system was introduced.