Some people get food scheme benefits twice

Migrant families in city, back home hold dual cards

The capital became the first state in the country to launch the food security scheme and some 32 lakh people have already started getting their entitlement under the programme starting this month.

But chances are that several migrant families living in slum clusters and resettlement colonies will end up getting subsidised food from the government in two places — one in Delhi (under the food security scheme) as well as in their home state (through their ration cards under the other existing subsidised food schemes).

Thousands of migrant families in Delhi have ration cards. But many of them have family members back home, who also have ration cards as well, thus drawing their entitlements.  
While Delhi government officials admit there could be such cases, they said they can check dual entitlements only when other states have the data of ration card holders linked to Aadhar numbers. 

“Our data entry server is connected to the Aadhar server. Duplication is detected the moment the Aadhar number of an applicant under the food security scheme is fed into the system. So, in case of states where records of people getting entitlements through ration cards is not linked to Aadhar records, there is a possibility that some families will continue to withdraw entitlements in their home state as well,” said Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner S S Yadav. 

Officials, however, said they are taking measures to check duplication in issuing food security cards in the city. “Since Aadhar numbers of all the family members are mandatory to apply for the food security card, chances of duplication are minimal. Also, a second round of field inspection of all applicants is being done, which will further weed out any discrepancy in the requisites,” said Yadav.

Officials said the department is verifying details provided by applicants with other data, such as category of colony the applicants live in. They have collected details of different categories of residential colonies from the property tax department of MCD.

Other data like those of the income tax and transport department, and discoms are being checked to weed out duplication.

Officials said they are getting some 60,000 applications per day for enrolment under the scheme.

The next phase of the scheme, which will cover another 40 lakh people, is likely to be covered by the end of this year, subject to clearance from the Election Commission in view of the Assembly elections.