The number of beneficiaries of the public distribution system (PDS) in Tamil Nadu is higher than the State’s population as per the 2011 Census.
According to the official website (https://tnpds.com) which is updated on a continuous basis, there are about 7.79 crore beneficiaries in the State. But, the population is 7.21 crore.
Over the years, efforts have been made to eliminate bogus cards. In the last Assembly session, Food Minister R. Kamaraj informed the House that between June 2011 and June 2016, about 4.85 lakh cards were removed after an elaborate verification.
An official in the Food and Civil Supplies Department says one has to wait to get a clear picture till the process of linking Aadhaar numbers of all beneficiaries of the PDS with the data of the family cards is completed.
