**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 754 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on February 4th, 2026, regarding BPL cardholders in Uttar Pradesh. The question concerns the details of BPL cardholders, issuance to ineligible persons, and measures to ensure benefits reach genuinely needy families. The response states that the identification of beneficiaries is under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and handled by State Governments/ Union Territories (UT).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Beneficiary Identification:**
* Beneficiaries under NFSA are identified in two categories: Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and priority households identified by State Governments/UTs based on their criteria.
* There is no "Below Poverty Line (BPL)" category under the Act.
* **Ration Card Issuance and Verification (Uttar Pradesh):**
* Ration cards are issued to families meeting the inclusion criteria determined by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh.
* Regular verifications are conducted, and cards of families falling under exclusion criteria are canceled.
* The following numbers of ration cards have been cancelled in Uttar Pradesh due to duplication, ineligibility, displacement, and death:
* 2021: 719213
* 2022: 876686
* 2023: 674884
* 2024: 847484
* 2025: 964336
* **Collusion in Ration Card Issuance:**
* The State Government of Uttar Pradesh reports no collusion between Panchayat/Urban Local Body representatives and departmental officials in issuing ration cards.
* **Ensuring Benefits to Needy Families:**
* The Central Government advises States/UTs to identify eligible and poor persons/households for inclusion under NFSA.
* States are cleaning up beneficiary databases to remove bogus ration cards and improve targeting of rightful beneficiaries.
* Deletion of ineligible beneficiaries and addition of eligible beneficiaries is a continuous process.
* **Transparency and Accountability:**
* The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Act provides for social audits and constitution of Vigilance Committees by the State Government to ensure transparency and accountability.
* Uttar Pradesh conducts regular social audits in Gram Panchayats, and ineligible families' ration cards are immediately canceled upon verification.
* Eligible families applying for a ration card under NFSA are issued the card without delay upon verification.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments/Union Territories (UTs)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for identifying priority households according to their own criteria within the NFSA.
* **Action Required:** Continue conducting regular verifications, cleaning up beneficiary databases, and ensuring transparency through social audits and vigilance committees.
**Uttar Pradesh State Government**
* **Impact:** Accountable for fair and effective ration card issuance and cancellation.
* **Action Required:** Continue conducting regular social audits, cancelling ineligible cards immediately upon verification, and ensure eligible families receive ration cards without delay.
**Beneficiaries (Eligible & Ineligible)**
* **Impact:** Eligible beneficiaries will have continued access to benefits under the NFSA scheme. Ineligible beneficiaries will have their cards cancelled.
* **Action Required:** Eligible beneficiaries should ensure they meet the state's criteria. Ineligible beneficiaries may need to seek alternative support.
Key Entities Referenced
National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA): The primary act governing the identification of beneficiaries for food security programs.
Uttar Pradesh: The state where BPL cardholder details and cancellations are specified in the response.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): A scheme under the NFSA that identifies the poorest households.
Below Poverty Line (BPL): A former classification system, now replaced by other categories under the NFSA.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution: The central ministry responsible for administering the NFSA and related schemes.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 754
TO BE ANSWERED ON 4Tll FEBRUARY, 2026
BPL CARDHOLDERS
+754. SHRI LAXMIKANT PAPPU NISHAD:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
be pleased to state:
(a): the details of the total number of BPL cardholder families currently in Uttar Pradesh
district-wise particularly for Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Ambedkar Nagar districts;
(b): whether the Government is aware that during the process of issuing BPL cards, cards
have also been issued to ineligible persons such as owners of pucca houses, two-/four-wheeler
vehicle owners, holders ofcultivable land and salary/pension recipients;
(C): if so, the number of such cases reported during the last five years;
(d): whether the Government has noticed the instances of collusion between Panchayat/Urban
Local Body representatives and departmental officials in the issuance ofBPL cards;
(e): if so? the number of cases in which inquiries were conducted, cancellations made,
recoveries effected and penal action taken;
(f): whether the Government proposes to ensure benefits to genuinely needy families by
removing ineligible beneficiaries through measures such as social audit and the establishment of
a grievance redressal portal; and
(g): the timeline for revision of the BPL list in the aforesaid districts?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIM ATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)
(a): Identification of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFS A) is under
two categories- households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) to the extent specified
by the Central Government and the remaining households as priority households to be identified by
the State Governments/ Union Territories (UT) Administrations as per criteria evolved by them,
within the coverage determined for the State/UT. There is no Below Poverty Line (BPL) category
under the Act(b) & (c): As per the information received from the State of Uttar Pradesh, the ration cards are
issued, as far as possible, to families that meet the prescribed inclusion criteria determined by the
State Government. Over time, the economic status of many families improves. Therefore, regular
verifications have been carried out in the State. After verification, the ration cards of families
falling under the exclusion criteria are cancelled
Details of ration cards cancelled in Uttar Pradesh over the past five years due to duplication,
ineligibility, displacement and death is as follows: -
Year Number of ration cards Cancelled
202 1 719213
2022 876686
2023 674884
2024 847484
2025 964336
(d) & (e): As reported by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, there is no such type of
collusion between Panchayat/Urban Local Body representatives and departmental officials in
issuing ration cards.
(f) & (g): The Central Government has issued advisory, from time to time, to all the States/Union
Territories to identify all eligible and poor persons/ households including vulnerable Sections of the
Society for inclusion under the NFS A. States are undertaking cleaning up of their beneficiary
database so that bogus ration cards get deleted and better targeting of rightful beneficiaries is
ensured. Thus, deletion of ineligible beneficiaries and addition of eligible beneficiaries under the
Act is a continuous process.
In order to ensure transparency and accountability in Targeted Public Distribution System
(TPDS), the Act provides for conduct of Social Audit and Constitution of Vigilance Committee by
the State Government.
As reported by State Government of Uttar Pradesh regular social audits are conducted in
Gram Panchayats if, upon verification, any family is found ineligible, its ration card is cancelled
immediately. If any eligible family applies for a ration card under the NFSA scheme and is found
eligible during verification, the ration card is issued to the concerned family without delay.
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