Ration Card Re-verification in J&K: Lakhs at Risk of Losing Benefits
Imran Naikoo
Srinagar, 04 January 2025, (Gulistan News): The ongoing process of ration card re-verification in Jammu & Kashmir has raised serious concerns among the public due to vague criteria and discrepancies in data.
According to official statistics, millions of people are still without any form of ration card, highlighting a major administrative shortfall.
As per the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) website (rcms.jk.gov.in), only 1.1 crore people in J&K have been enrolled under various ration card categories, including AAY, PHH, NPHH and Exclusion Cards.
However, the 2011 Census indicates that the total population of Jammu & Kashmir is approximately 1.25 crore, including 2.74 lakh people from Ladakh. This means that around 21 lakh individuals are still without any ration card.
In 2016, the Union Government’s Public Distribution System (Control) Order 2015 set a target for J&K to include 74 lakh people under the Priority Household (PHH) category.
However, as per rcms.jk.gov.in, only 57.83 lakh people have been enrolled in this category to date, leaving a significant vacancy of 17 lakh individuals. This gap presents a critical opportunity for the government to include those who have been overlooked for years.
The re-verification process could potentially exclude lakhs of people from the PHH category.
As per S.O 389, individuals with an annual income exceeding ₹5 lakh will be excluded from PHH. This could result in the removal of 2 to 3 lakh people from the PHH category, who will then be placed under the Exclusion Card category, which is not eligible for subsidized ration.
The most alarming issue is the vagueness of S.O 389, which lacks clear inclusion criteria for PHH and NPHH categories. This ambiguity allows committees at the village, tehsil and district levels to interpret rules arbitrarily, leading to potential misuse and irregularities on the ground.
The lack of clear guidelines has created widespread apprehension among the public. Many fear that deserving individuals will be unfairly excluded from government-provided ration benefits. If the reverification process is not handled transparently and with well-defined criteria, it could lead to significant public dissatisfaction and even law-and-order issues.
The ration card re-verification process has become a major issue for the people of Jammu & Kashmir. If immediate and effective measures are not taken, millions could lose access to essential ration benefits, further aggravating public hardship.
The public urges the government to address these issues promptly and ensure that every deserving individual receives their rightful benefits.(Gulistan News)
