Even with the deadline for linking ration cards with Aadhaar numbers extended a couple of times, Mysuru district is yet to achieve 100 per cent linkage.
The Department of Food and Civil Supplies has made it compulsory for all ration card holders in the State, including those with Above Poverty Line (APL) cards, to link the cards with Aadhaar numbers. This measure was taken to weed out bogus card holders and ensure that only genuine beneficiaries avail benefits under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Out of 6,07,434 ration card holders in the district, 5,88,485 have linked their card with Aadhaar number, according to data provided by the department.
K. Rameshwarappa, Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies, Mysuru, told The Hindu that linking of ration cards with Aadhaar numbers is mandatory and those who have not done it yet need to do so immediately to avail their quota of ration. “The option is still open,” he said.
He expressed confidence in getting the remaining 17,000-odd ration card holders on board. “The gap is mostly in rural areas and it will be bridged soon,” he said. A total of 20,66,411 people are availing PDS benefits using 6,07,434 ration cards in the district. Mysuru has the highest number of cards with 1,84,313, followed by Nanjangud with 90,932. The linkage success is 95 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively.
