In a major revelation, thousands of ineligible individuals have been found exploiting India’s free ration distribution system, originally designed to support economically weaker sections. Despite owning cars, large plots of land, and businesses with high turnover, many were queuing up monthly to claim free rations—depriving rightful beneficiaries of their share.
The misuse came to light after the Government of India cross-verified ration card data with records from the Income Tax Department, Transport Department, GST database, and PM-Kisan scheme. The findings were alarming: over 9.96 lakh ration card holders were identified as income tax payers, 4.74 lakh owned light motor vehicles, and 1.89 lakh were farmers with more than five acres of land. Additionally, 6,775 individuals with GST-registered firms and 308 with heavy or commercial vehicles were also found holding ration cards meant for the poor.
Currently, the state has 3.62 crore active ration cards, covering 14.68 crore beneficiaries. Of these, more than 3.20 crore families hold “Paatra Grihasthi” cards, entitling each member to 5 kg of ration per month. Another 40.82 lakh families hold “Antyodaya” cards, receiving 35 kg of ration monthly. According to government norms, Antyodaya cards are reserved for families living below the poverty line, while Paatra Grihasthi cards are issued to urban households earning less than ₹3 lakh annually and rural households earning below ₹2 lakh.
Following the data mismatch, the Food and Civil Supplies Department has begun verifying and canceling the ration cards of ineligible individuals. Additional Commissioner Satyadev confirmed that district-level verification is underway based on the central government’s findings.
Districts with the highest number of car-owning ration card holders include Lucknow (30,292), Kanpur Nagar (17,741), Prayagraj (16,652), Ghaziabad (13,912), and Bareilly (12,494). Meanwhile, Jaunpur (39,269), Prayagraj (36,182), Gorakhpur (31,972), Azamgarh (31,015), and Pratapgarh (23,375) top the list for income tax-paying ration card holders. Pratapgarh (8,326), Sitapur (6,636), Aligarh (5,854), Mathura (5,520), and Hamirpur (5,145) lead in ration card holders owning more than five acres of land.
The crackdown aims to restore fairness in the distribution system and ensure that government aid reaches those who genuinely need it.