Ludhiana: 46,000 ration cards cancelled, aggrieved families feel the pinch

According to information obtained from the DFSC office, 46,016 ration cards in Ludhiana district have been cancelled after a comprehensive review based on government-set criteria

Aggrieved families on Thursday approached the office of the District Food and Supply Controller (DFSC) after they found that their names were removed from the beneficiary list of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, also known as the ‘atta dal scheme’.

With the ration card cancellations, the families, with most of them labourers, are finding it hard to make ends meet and provide for their families. (HT Photo)

According to information obtained from the DFSC office, 46,016 ration cards in Ludhiana district have been cancelled after a comprehensive review based on government-set criteria. Presently, there are 4,28,502 ration card beneficiaries in the district.

Officials at the DFSC highlighted that the government has established specific parameters to determine eligibility for ration cards, and it is on these grounds that the cancellations have been made.

The criteria include families with an annual household income of over ₹60,000, households possessing more than 2.5 acres of fertile land or over 5 acres of barren land among other reasons. However, affected individuals have expressed their grievances, highlighting their desperate need for assistance.

Sandeep Kumar, additional deputy commissioner, said, “Ration cards have been cancelled in accordance with the government’s specified parameters. However, individuals whose ration cards have been discontinued without proper adherence to the parameters are encouraged to reach out to the DFSC office. Such cases will be carefully examined, and appropriate action will be taken.”

SDM East, Gursimran Singh Dhillon, said, “Only 5% of the cards have been cancelled, out of which some forms were found ineligible and others were cancelled based on the government criteria which they did not meet.”

DFSC Shefali Chopra added, “The survey was conducted by officials of the municipal corporation and other government departments, under which beneficiaries who were found ineligible were cancelled according to the list generated by the officials.”

With the ration card cancellations, the families, with most of them labourers, are finding it hard to make ends meet and provide for their families.

Mohit of Kakowal area, one such individual whose ration card has been cancelled, shared his plight, saying, “As a labourer, I earn a mere ₹10,000 per month, which is insufficient to sustain my livelihood. With one child and a pregnant wife, my family’s financial situation is far from comfortable. I am perplexed as to why my ration card was cancelled, as I do not lead an extravagant lifestyle or meet the income parameters set by the department. I earnestly appeal to the authorities to investigate my case and reinstate my ration card.”

Ram Sakhi Devi, another city resident, shared her struggles after visiting the DFSC office, saying, “We are a family of four surviving on a monthly income of ₹12,000. The denial of wheat ration for the past two days has exacerbated our difficulties. I request both the state and central government to promptly intervene and rectify the situation.”

However, a large number of families claim that authorities have allegedly not cancelled ration cards belonging to prominent and influential individuals in different areas of the district. Balwant Singh, a city resident who works in a private company, said that he earns ₹10,000 per month, does not file income tax, and does not own any land. Yet, his ration card was cancelled by the authorities.