The debate in the Assembly over the bifurcation of ration cards and the distribution of fair price shops has once again brought into focus the everyday hardships faced by thousands of genuine beneficiaries under the NFSA. While the political undertones of regional imbalance between Jammu and Kashmir divisions have sharpened the discourse, the core issue remains administrative: how to ensure that welfare reaches the deserving without leakage, exclusion, or discrimination. It is an undeniable fact that in the past, the PDS in J&K, like elsewhere in the country, suffered from serious infirmities. Ghost ration cards, duplicate beneficiaries and fraudulent inclusion under BPL and AAY categories drained public resources. The introduction of the “One Nation, One Ration Card” scheme by the Union Government was a landmark reform aimed at portability, transparency and accountability. Aadhaar seeding of ration cards and biometric-enabled point-of-sale machines at fair-price shops has significantly reduced duplication and improved tracking of beneficiaries.
Yet, reforms meant to plug leakages should not translate into blanket administrative rigidity. The continuing freeze on the bifurcation of ration cards and the issuance of new cards has created severe hardships for genuine families. In a society where joint families are common, economic realities within the same household can vary dramatically. It is not uncommon to find a single ration card covering two brothers-one a gazetted officer with financial security, the other struggling below the poverty line. In such situations, the entire household may be classified as ineligible for certain benefits because of the income status of one member, leaving the truly needy deprived of subsidised food grains. Women who move after marriage, elderly parents living separately, and economically vulnerable members are forced into bureaucratic limbo. The present blanket ban, instead of targeting fraud, has effectively penalised the honest.
Technology already offers the tools to address misuse without resorting to sweeping prohibitions. Real-time digital records make duplication increasingly difficult. Periodic social audits, income verification through digital databases, and cross-linking with tax and employment records can further weed out fraudulent BPL and AAY cards. Instead of halting bifurcation altogether, the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs could adopt a case-by-case verification mechanism with strict timelines.
Equally concerning is the allegation of uneven distribution of fair price shops between the Jammu and Kashmir divisions. In the digital age, population data, beneficiary counts and shop allocations are easily verifiable. Any perception of disparity-whether real or exaggerated-must be addressed transparently. If the Kashmir division indeed has a significantly higher number of free ration beneficiaries, the Government must place detailed data in the public domain explaining the criteria for shop allocation. Silence breeds suspicion, and suspicion fuels regional mistrust.
Welfare policy should be guided by objective indicators such as population density, terrain, number of beneficiaries, and logistical challenges-not by political narratives. Perhaps the worst sufferers in the current arrangement are residents of remote and hilly terrains. In far-flung areas, a limited number of fair-price shops means long and expensive travel to collect monthly rations. For daily wage earners, a single day spent travelling can mean a day without income. In harsh winters or in border belts with security constraints, access becomes even more difficult. Rationalising the number and location of shops based on geography and accessibility is as important as addressing regional balance.
The broader objective of food security must remain central. Free ration schemes, especially in economically vulnerable regions, have been a lifeline. The cure should not be more damaging than the disease. A policy that blocks all new or bifurcated cards risks excluding the very people it is meant to protect. The Government must, therefore, undertake a comprehensive review of ration card management and fair price shop distribution. Clear guidelines for bifurcation, time-bound grievance redressal, transparent publication of district-wise data, and rational allocation of outlets based on both population and terrain can restore confidence. Food security is a social contract between the state and its citizens. When genuine beneficiaries struggle for their rightful share, that contract weakens. Jammu and Kashmir deserves policies rooted in fairness, transparency and compassion-policies that unite rather than divide, and that ensure no deserving family goes hungry because of procedural inflexibility.
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