West Bengal deactivates 11.12 lakh ration cards since April

The West Bengal Directorate of Rationing has deactivated 11.12 lakh ration cards since the start of the current financial year on April 1. While official figures cite April, reports suggest the deactivation process gained significant momentum in June following a change in state government.

The deactivation process utilizes data from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, which identified deceased, duplicate, and shifted voters. Officials stated that the current batch of deactivated cards primarily belongs to deceased individuals. The process has been described as slow due to the sensitivity and legal requirements involved in cross-checking data before final recommendations.

Following the completion of the deactivation of cards for deceased persons, the department intends to target individuals removed from voter lists for other reasons, including a focus on illegal immigrants using fraudulent identity documents. The administration aims to ensure that food subsidy benefits under the Public Distribution System (PDS) are reserved exclusively for genuine beneficiaries.