CHANDIGARH: Even after issuing a notification following the Union Government’s flagging of ‘suspicious beneficiaries’ under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) scheme, the AAP-led Punjab government will now proceed to verify ration cards. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today stated that the state has sought six months’ time from the Centre in light of the recent floods to complete the verification process. Meanwhile, the Congress party has criticised CM Mann’s decision.
The notification issued by the state government on 19 September this year, titled Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria for Identification of Beneficiaries under National Food Security Act, 2013 / Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, outlines the parameters for beneficiary eligibility.
Under the exclusion criteria, the notification states that all income taxpayers, all Goods and Services Tax (GST) registrants, all service tax payers, all professional tax payers, households owning more than 2.5 acres of fertile land or more than five acres of barren land, any household owning a motorised four-wheeler or air conditioners, and any household that owns and operates a registered enterprise are to be excluded. Families of all government employees (except contractual, work-charged, or daily wage workers) of the Government of India, state governments, Union Territories, or their boards and corporations are also excluded.
Further, it adds that households with an income exceeding Rs 1.80 lakh from all sources, and those owning a house built on a plot over 100 square yards or a flat larger than 750 square feet within Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils of the state, will be excluded. This notification amends the Punjab Food Security Rules, 2016.
“The notification listing the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of beneficiaries was issued with the approval of the Chief Minister,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
A senior state government official explained, “The notification mentions that only those individuals who fall under the exclusion criteria will be removed, while others in the family will continue to receive free wheat.”
He added that a three-member committee comprising the Secretary of Food and Supplies, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Taxation Commissioner will review the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Once the new criteria are formulated, verification will be carried out accordingly, and only ineligible beneficiaries will be removed.
Reiterating that no ration card in the state will be deleted arbitrarily, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that the government has sought six months’ time from the Union Government, citing the recent floods as a reason for the delay. He criticised the rationale behind deleting ration cards based on ownership of four-wheelers, government jobs, small landholdings, and income levels, highlighting the unfairness of penalising entire families when only one member meets these criteria.
Earlier, the Union Government had flagged the issue of suspicious beneficiaries and set a deadline of 30 September for verification. The Punjab government had requested six months’ extension, initially citing officials’ involvement in paddy procurement operations. CM Mann had also promised not to delete any beneficiary from the list.
Currently, there are 1.53 crore beneficiaries receiving free wheat under the NFSA scheme in Punjab.
Sources from the state Food and Civil Supplies Department said Punjab has approximately 40.50 lakh ration card holders covering a population of 1.53 crore people under the NFSA. Beneficiaries are entitled to 5 kg of wheat per person monthly at a nominal cost of Rs 2 per kg. A total of 32,500 metric tonnes of wheat is distributed monthly under the scheme.
Condemning the state government’s decision, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led administration for yielding to the BJP-led Union Government’s diktats by agreeing to slash 11 lakh beneficiaries from the NFSA free ration scheme.
He reminded the public that the AAP government had previously promised not to remove any beneficiaries despite Centre’s concerns over alleged discrepancies. “Now, they have not only gone back on their word but have adopted the Centre’s anti-poor criteria to mercilessly weed out individuals from this lifeline food support,” Bajwa said. “It’s not just a policy shift, it’s a moral collapse.”
Bajwa warned that the decision would push the underprivileged further towards destitution. “Thousands have lost their homes, livelihoods, and access to basic services, and instead of extending a hand, the government is tightening the noose. Is this what a welfare state looks like?” he asked.
He also criticised CM Mann, saying, “When the Centre raised these issues earlier, Mann claimed no one would be excluded. What changed? Why can’t he hold his ground now? Either he cannot keep his promises, or he has fully surrendered to the BJP.”
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring added that after targeting farmers at the BJP’s behest through the use of force to quell peaceful protests, the AAP government in Punjab is now targeting the poor, downtrodden, and marginalised sections of society.
He alleged that the BJP has a deep and deliberate design in this matter, as it knows the people being denied free wheat benefits belong largely to marginalised groups such as Dalits, labourers, and the poor, who traditionally do not support the BJP. “The BJP seeks to victimise and persecute this section of society everywhere, and it is now trying to do the same in Punjab, with the AAP government acting as a convenient and compliant partner,” he charged.