Hazaribag: A total of 17,241 ration cardholders were found ineligible during the second phase of a verification drive conducted by the district supply department, prompting cancellation of their cards and initiation of recovery proceedings for foodgrains availed under the public distribution system (PDS).The scrutiny, carried out by matching beneficiaries’ KYC details against govt databases, revealed that 11,749 were income taxpayers, 1,473 held duplicate ration cards, 1,298 were GST payers, 101 were salaried employees, 130 owned four-wheelers, and 220 were linked to voluntary organisations. Besides, 2,270 cardholders had not availed of the foodgrains for over six months.The department has also begun recovering the cost of foodgrains received by ineligible beneficiaries. Notices have been issued to 55 people, directing them to repay the value of foodgrains at Rs 40 per kg along with 12% interest. The crackdown has prompted 407 beneficiaries to voluntarily surrender their ration cards. The recovery drive will be intensified after the SIR exercise ends.Applicants seeking new ration cards will now have to submit an affidavit, declaring their eligibility. Additionally, the names of 5,224 family members were removed after their eligibility ceased but ration continued to be drawn in their names, officials said.“Action is being taken as per rules against all identified ineligible beneficiaries, with the focus on recovery and stricter verification of fresh applicants,” district supply department official Murli Yadav said.A total of 23,064 ineligible beneficiaries were detected in the first phase of the verification exercise conducted in March.
