Most unverified PDS beneficiaries from Punjab in Ludhiana, Centre reveals
According to official data, nearly 3.6 lakh beneficiaries in Ludhiana have failed to complete their biometric authentication, amounting to around 10% of such cases across Punjab. These individuals are now likely to be weeded out from the PDS system, which provides free wheat to eligible ration card holders, officials said.
Notably, Punjab has a total of 33,48,204 ration card beneficiaries where Ludhiana alone accounted for over 18.1 lakh of them during the time of the drive. Of these, around 46,439 individuals, including deceased and migrant beneficiaries have already been removed from the system.
A senior official from the food and supplies department asserted that Ludhiana's high number of unverified beneficiaries is largely due to its large migrant population. Many of these individuals frequently move in and out of the district in search of work, making it difficult for officials to reach them and complete biometric verification during the e-KYC drive.
Officials further explained that under the PDS, each beneficiary in Punjab is entitled to receive 15kg of free wheat every quarter. However, as per fresh instructions from the Centre and the state food and supplies department, free wheat for the July–September quarter will only be given to families whose heads have completed the verification.
Drive aimed at transparency
The e-KYC drive is part of the Centre's larger push for transparency and accountability in foodgrain distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), through the ONORC scheme. The initiative aimed at plugging loopholes in the system through digital drive, where each beneficiary was mandated to verify their eligibility through biometric authentication.
In a March 17, 2023 notification, the central government had directed all states and UTs to ensure 100% e-KYC coverage at fair price shops (ration depots) to prevent misuse of subsidies, and outdated records from the system. The aim of this drive was not just to remove bogus entries but also to create space for new, deserving beneficiaries to be brought into the fold, officials stated.
When contacted, district food supplies controller (Ludhiana West), Sartaaj Singh Cheema, said, 'Around 80% of beneficiaries in Ludhiana district have completed their e-KYC. As of now we have not received any official instructions regarding the distribution of free wheat to these excluded beneficiaries in the next quarter.'
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