Centre Rejects Punjab CM Claim on Ration Roll Deletions, Accuses AAP Govt of Corruption
Pralhad Joshi clarifies eKYC process and criticizes Punjab government's inaction.....
Punjab : Centre Rebuts Punjab CM’s Claim on Ration Roll Deletions, Accuses AAP Govt of Corruption
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi denies deleting Punjab NFSA beneficiaries, asks state for data cleanup
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, on Monday rejected Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s allegations that the Centre was removing 55 lakh names from the state’s ration rolls, calling the claim false and misleading.
In a video message shared on X (formerly Twitter), Joshi explained that the mandatory eKYC process for ration beneficiaries was not initiated by the Central Government but was a directive from the Supreme Court. He emphasized that the Centre merely issued circulars to all states, urging them to comply.
Punjab was given three extensions to complete the exercise, yet it failed to act on time, Joshi pointed out. He clarified that the state of Punjab has 1.41 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, and assured that “the Centre has not removed even a single beneficiary from this approved list.
While April 30 was the final deadline for completing eKYC, only 90 per cent of the process had been completed in Punjab by that date, Joshi added.
It is the state government’s responsibility to identify eligible beneficiaries based on their own inclusion and exclusion criteria, the Union Minister further stated.
Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of negligence and corruption, Joshi alleged that many eligible families still lack ration cards. He also accused the state government of allowing foodgrains meant for the poor to be illegally diverted.
The Punjab government can clean up the system and bring genuine beneficiaries under the scheme, but it refuses to act. Instead, ration is sold on the black market, while the poor are left out. This illegal trade continues because it sustains the corruption of Bhagwant Mann and his party, Joshi charged.
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