More than 1,000 families surrender ration cards after Centre’s directive

SHILLONG, July 25: More than 1,000 families in Meghalaya have surrendered their ration cards following the central government’s directive to link Aadhaar cards with ration cards under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Comingone Ymbon informed that the move to link Aadhaar is aimed at streamlining the implementation of the scheme and detecting cases of fraud or duplication. According to him, after the Aadhaar seeding and eKYC process, over 1,000 ration cards had to be surrendered.
He stated that approximately 600 cards were surrendered in East Khasi Hills, around 400 in Ri-Bhoi, and under 100 in South West Khasi Hills.
The minister said the Aadhaar linkage through eKYC helped identify ineligible beneficiaries, including government employees and individuals holding duplicate ration cards. He added that the process has significantly curbed fraudulent practices.
When asked if any individuals who opposed Aadhaar had voluntarily surrendered their ration cards, Ymbon clarified that no such cases have been reported so far.
Acknowledging the public’s anxiety over possible exclusion, the minister noted that the Centre had set a deadline of June 30 for Aadhaar linking.
However, only 63.5 per cent of the beneficiaries in the state have completed the process. He assured that those who have not yet linked their Aadhaar will continue to receive rations till August, as food supplies were dispatched in advance during the Sindoor Operation.
Ymbon reiterated that the PDS is a central government scheme, and Aadhaar linking remains mandatory for all such centrally sponsored schemes.