Srinagar: As many as 2,25,360 beneficiaries have been added to the ration card system in Jammu and Kashmir, while 56,664 beneficiaries have been deleted since January 1, 2026 , according to figures provided by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
While providing reply to Starred question raised by the MLA Payare Lal Sharma, the Government said 1,50,211 PHH beneficiaries, 65,260 NPHH beneficiaries and 9,889 AAY beneficiaries added across the Union Territory during the period.
Against this, 11,484 AAY, 20,525 PHH and 24,655 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted, taking the total deletions to 56,664.
The Jammu division recorded 1,36,939 additions, comprising 1,261 AAY, 90,770 PHH and 44,908 NPHH beneficiaries. The division also recorded 34,950 deletions 8,611 AAY, 11,632 PHH and 14,707 NPHH.
Among Jammu division districts, Samba recorded 8,559 PHH deletions, the highest in that category, while Kishtwar recorded 10,426 NPHH deletions**.
The Kashmir division recorded 88,421 new beneficiaries, including 8,628 AAY, 59,441 PHH and 20,352 NPHH beneficiaries.
The division reported 21,714 deletions, comprising 2,873 AAY, 8,893 PHH and 9,948 NPHH beneficiaries.
In Anantnag, 17, 447 beneficiaries were added—1,089 AAY, 13,111 PHH and 3,247 NPHH—while 7,259 beneficiaries were deleted, including 403 AAY, 4,895 PHH and 1,961 NPHH.
In its reply, the Department said it had achieved 100 per cent Aadhaar seeding of ration cards. It said verification and correction of beneficiary details are carried out at the beneficiary level and that ration cards are categorised according to prescribed norms.
The Department said cards identified as “Silent Ration Cards” during verification are not deleted outright but are kept under suspension for the prescribed period. Such cards are restored after the concerned beneficiary or family approaches the department and the case is examined on merit.
The government also stated that, with special reference to the Inderwal constituency, no ration card had been found fake, duplicate, invalid or cancelled/deleted during the verification process conducted by the District/Kishtwar administration.
The official shows that in Inderwal constituency, 3,937 PHH beneficiaries were added, while 128 AAY and 522 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted during the period.
Responding to a query on whether deleted ration cards had been replaced by “Chulha Parchi,” the department said eligibility is determined in accordance with S.O. 389 of 2021 and not on the basis of Chulha Parchi.
The department further said that beneficiaries are being identified according to criteria laid down in the NFSA Rules, 2021, notified vide S.O. 389 dated November 16, 2021. It said ration-card targets are determined and assigned by the Government of India and that beneficiary families are identified on the basis of Census 2011, with fresh ration cards issued under newly revised targets.
