J&K govt says order to verify PDS beneficiaries to be put on hold

Jammu, Mar 24 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said it would put on hold a general administration department order for verifying beneficiaries under the public distribution system.

Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Satesh Sharma made the announcement in response to supplementary questions from multiple members in the assembly.

“We will suspend the order issued by the general administration department for beneficiary verification,” Sharma told the House.

The general administration department had ordered a verification of beneficiaries to make the public distribution system (PDS) database clean and credible, he said.

Sharma also said the Centre had advised states and Union territories to conduct regular verifications to remove ineligible beneficiaries.

The minister emphasised that the Jammu and Kashmir government was committed to eliminating fake ration cards through an ongoing process.

In response to a question from National Conference member Mir Saifullah, he clarified that the verification process aimed to include genuine beneficiaries and exclude undeserving ones to meet the targeted goals of the PDS.

Under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana of the National Food Security Act, which targets the “poorest of the poor”, 35 kilogrammes of foodgrains are distributed per family per month while Priority Households receive five kilogrammes per person per month, Sharma noted.