Multi-dept data sync removes 85K ineligible ration cards

The ongoing exercise will ensure savings for the government during the cash-strapped pandemic period

A data synchronization exercise between various government bodies has resulted in some 85,000 ineligible BPL cards being weeded out.

The process involved collating data from Karnataka for GST returns, Income Tax filings, revenue certificates and others based on the Aadhaar number provided against them. They were then tallied with the Public Distribution System data of the Food & Civil Supplies department to identify and remove ration cards that did not fit the income criteria for a BPL or Antyodaya card.

The ongoing exercise, which started a couple of months ago, will ensure savings for the government during the cash-strapped pandemic period apart from removing ineligible beneficiaries.

Speaking to DH, Additional Chief Secretary (Food & Civil Supplies) B H Anil Kumar said that comparing existing database of the government such as GST filings data of the Commercial Taxes department, Income Tax data, revenue certificates and land ownership data, helped weed out the bogus cards.

During the comparison, if an Aadhaar number registered to a BPL card is found to own more than three hectares of land or having filed tax returns, then that household is ineligible. The card is cancelled straight away and converted to an APL card, Kumar said.

The process is being undertaken with the help of the Centre for e-Governance. “They give us a list of those who are likely to be ineligible, which is then compared for exclusion of bogus cards,” he said.

Following the exercise, there are demands for verification of the cancelled cards that are being processed as some claimed that they did not pay any income tax.

Apart from the linkage with multiple databases, the department is also mapping death and birth data. This mapping will help not only in the efficient distribution of ration for beneficiaries, but also remove pension benefits provided to the deceased.