Parliament Question: Addition and Deletion of Ration Cards

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5387 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25Tll MARCH, 2026 ADDITION AND DELETION OF RATION CARDS 5387. SHRI DEEPENDER SINGH HOODA: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a): the number of ration cards added and deleted under the Public Distribution System (PDS) since 2014, including the current year, State, Union Territory and year-wise; (b): the details of the reasons for deletion of ration cards during this period, including grounds such as ineligibility, duplication, Aadhaar seeding, migration, income criteria or non- verification; (c) : whether the Government maintains any standardised criteria or guidelines for addition and deletion of ration cards across States and UTs and if so, the details thereof; and (d): whether any grievance redressal or appeal mechanism exists for beneficiaries who.se ration cards have been deleted and if so, the details of the safeguards put in place to prevent exclusion of genuine beneficiaries? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRIM ATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA) (a) & (b): As an outcome of the use of technology in Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operations, i.e., digitization of ration cards/beneficiary databases, Aadhaar seeding, de-duplication process, identification of ineligible records, deaths, permanent migration of beneficiaries, etc. all States/UTs have been able to weed-out approx. 6.31 crore ration cards between 2014 to 2025 in order to achieve rightful targeting. A statement showing year-wise and State-wise deleted Ration Cards is at Annexure. (c): Under the National Food Security Act (NFS A), 2013, the responsibility for identifying eligible households rests with the respective State Governments/UT Administrations. As per Section 10 of NFSA, 2013, the State Government is required to frame its own inclusion and exclusion guidelines and identify households to be covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AA-Y) and Priority Households (PHH) within the limits prescribed under Section 9 of the Act. Accordingly, the criteria for determining eligibility or ineligibility of beneficiaries are defined by the respective State Governments/UTs through their Control Orders and guidelines. (d): The Department has undertaken several measures to strengthen digital monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms under the Public Distribution System (PDS).Firstly, grievance redressal systems have been strengthened through the universal availability of toll-free helplines (1967/1800 series) across all States/UTs. In addition, Anna Sahayata (ASHA) has been introduced as an AI-enabled grievance redressal platform leveraging WhatsApp and IVRS channels, enabling beneficiaries to lodge complaints and provide feedback in their preferred regional languages. The Mera Ration Mobile App also provides an integrated interface for beneficiaries to access their entitlement details, view transaction history, locate nearby FPSs, and register grievances directly. Further, monitoring has been strengthened through integration with the CPGIU\N4S platform, wherein States/UTs have been advised to adhere to the prescribed timeline of 21 days for grievance disposal. Grievance pendency is regularly monitored through dashboards, and periodic advisories are issued to ensure timely resolution. States/UTs with high pendency are specifically flagged for corrective action. These initiatives collectively enhance transparency, improve accountability, and ensure timely delivery of services to beneficiaries under the PDS. ScR jcR $c RAnnexure STATUS OF DELETED RATION CARDS I SI. State/l IT 2014 1 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 202 1 2022 2023 2025 2,1)24 Andhra 5 ,45,987 4,75,023 5,449 15,209 12,762 24,523 13, 128 52,610 512 102 Pradesh Andaman & 7 6 47 42 1 43 1 196 47 492 1 5 5068 1 Nicobar Arunachal 4,396 56 1,151 328 268 1128 Pradesh ma Assam 1 ,08,68 1 no 2 1 ,29 1 11,120 28,590 38,590 161516 24381 Bihar 21,712 16,40 6,291 99,404 15,678 1.61,809 4,49,525 168626 149043 1 6 a 88 m3 684 2,291 207 240 1 msgarh 7, 10,000 [3,0 1 ,50,000 1 ,50,000 4,508 10,400 20,7 1 5 29, 108 57371 60496 00 DNH and 26: 650 272 8 5,840 2,454 73 151 1101 Daman & Diu Delhi 38,49 22,696 3,969 2,56,987 381 8 116 3,686 6 ] 292 1 1438 1 6 1 1 10 Goa 9933 1 1,45,4 1100,,111155 66.,114466 1 1,130 888 2,1 17 5,801 166 3467 71 11 ma 64,079 45,83 22, 1 19 18,965 95,659 23,038 9 1 ,32,5 19 1 ,35,362 30889 69 1 02 3 12 Haryana 22,903 43,5 1 19,648 29,686 2,9 1 ,926 1 ,96, 1 74 8,49,972 328557 1343474 5 3 Himachal 235 1,148 172 56,858 367 4,376 2,538 3,299 7,551 9673 7400 Pradesh 4 Jammu and 640 3,325 50.709 664 3,428 13,869 13,224 33.677 2,927 5,403 4767 3036 Kashmir i Jharkhand 19 7,914 4,46,025 3,59,793 82,394 60,333 65,234 ®8 75, 137 29,77 1 6374 67730 Karnataka 6,64,755 7,6 1 ,3 1 ,44,432 3,26,382 73,675 1 ,09,312 3 1,753 48,477 74,40 1 27105 50594 26 Kerala 2,543 52,475 1,04,5 1 1 4 1 ,998 m8 11555 726 1 Ladakh NA NIL NIL 614 30 58 615 764 Lakshad wee 6 7 33 38 89 88 32 D Madhya 1 ,313 3,89, 124 1 ,84,673 1 ,27,44 1 6 1 ,265 1.65,829 9,93,704 98, 186 4,96,092 To .848 260285 mPrade=sh ;;] 11,55,908 12,8 1 ,922 6,53,677 1 ,3 1 ,986 36,1 19 1.44,985 2,0 1 ,676 174342 133469 80 iiM Ma en gi hD au lar yaI r5 b 336 2,568 10,525 45,32 11 6 _9.4 11 30, 44 09 23 9 1 , ,66 1284 72 4 41 95 65 11 05 2 M izoram 47 101 559 107 156 1 ,443 1 ,637 3,617 4,115 2548 742 Nagaland –r–a2 U7 18,552 U3 3,428 3,177 3924 1347 Odisha 6,50,47 1 64, 122 3 1 ,240 19420 121134 Puducherrya 10,629 56, 12 9,886 3,290 3,533 2,093 1 ,881 1 ,73 1 538 847 898 763 [ 1 [2l8 Puniab U3 69,945 34,972 94.03 1 1 ,79,837 3,305 1.52.497 1 ,23,722 -;'520 2290 29 Rajam 26,32 13,7 1 ,230 73, 1 10 L 8,0 1 6 72,276 5,80,241 1 ,35,283 2,65,390 26,386 103444 605826 9 11,714 1 , 126 a3 5,622 6,98 1 458 0 604 2116 96,406 1,14, 1 84,470 9,089 86, 1 50 73,875 R.905 33339 75 32 Telangana 1 1 ,7 1,354 83,04 5,2 1 ,790 41 , 194 3,101 40,684 12, 1 54 4,988 34,064 3424 140947 8 33 Tripura 11,814 66,23 92,728 18,874 552 1 ,099 1 , 100 1 ,254 800 467 4334 6 34 Uttar Pradesh 19,117 2,33,8 25,86,541 44,4 1 ,74 43,72,49 1 41 ,52,27 8,54,025 7, 1 9,2 1 3 9,99, 1 00 7,00, 1 38 841123 597012 47 8 3 35 Uttarakhand 1,11,3 89,984 3, 18,718 1 ,26,268 49,712 66,627 9,691 4.589 3014 67 36 West Bengal 16,77,3 1 1 2 1 ,84, 88.593 1 ,00, 1 5 1 59,666 2,93.326 6,47,003 7,56,860 509952 3745 19 152 Grand Total 52,01 ,280 50,31, 8 73,74,651 59,90,44 24,19,45 29,02,79 63,80,27 4 1 ,99,373 488525 41,41,38 877 4 6 1 4 4 9 5