Claim of removing 55 lakh ration card holders completely misleading: Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi

Chandigarh  (   Justice News)

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Renewable Energy, Shri Prahlad Joshi, has clarified that recent claims regarding the removal of 55 lakh ration card holders from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in Punjab are misleading and intended to divert public attention from facts. Responding to the statements made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Union Minister stated that no beneficiary has been removed by the Centre from Punjab’s ceiling of 1.41 crore NFSA (National Food Security Act, 2013) beneficiaries, and allocations continue to be made in full.

The Minister explained that the process of mandatory eKYC of NFSA/PMGKAY beneficiaries was directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, and the Central Government has only asked States/UTs to comply with this order. Punjab was advised to begin eKYC in March 2023, and deadlines were extended three times to facilitate smooth implementation. Despite these delays, the Centre has not stopped allocation. He reiterated that the latest deadline for eKYC was June 30, 2025, yet foodgrain allocation for Punjab has not been stopped. In fact, between June and August 2025, nearly 1.74 LMT of foodgrains have already been allocated to the State under PMGKAY. He further clarified that free food allocation is also continuing for nearly 10% of beneficiaries who have not yet completed e-KYC, as no reduction has been made in Punjab’s overall NFSA ceiling.

As of now, Punjab has completed eKYC of nearly 90% of beneficiaries. However, serious anomalies have been detected in the ration card database, with over 12 lakh beneficiaries flagged for further verification. Shri Joshi emphasized that under the NFSA, 2013, the responsibility of identifying eligible beneficiaries and distributing foodgrains lies entirely with the State Government. The Central Government has not reduced even a single beneficiary from Punjab’s ceiling and continues to allocate foodgrains as per established norms.

The Union Minister further underlined that it is the duty of the Punjab Government to ensure rightful targeting and prevent leakages, so that only deserving poor households benefit. He urged the State Government to act against the illegal movement and diversion of foodgrains, instead of making baseless allegations against the Centre under pressure from vested lobbies.