Uncertainty on whether a significant chunk of white ration cardholders, below poverty line families that did not receive ₹ 1,500 cash in their accounts as assured by the State government in April continues for the second month.
The government has completed crediting cash to the tune of ₹ 1,100 crore into the accounts of 74 lakh families for May. Another 5.3 lakh families without bank accounts are being covered through post offices, but the process had been delayed because of some server side errors. Senior officials said the process would be completed within a day or two and cash would be given to these 5.3 lakh cardholders through post offices.
In all, 87.53 lakh families out of the over 1.03 crore families in the State have white ration cards, given to the below poverty line families. Of these, around 80 lakh families received cash benefit of ₹ 1,500 announced by the State government enabling them to buy other groceries like vegetables, pulses and oil in April.
The government credited ₹ 1,112 crore into the accounts of 74 lakh families last month after obtaining their account details. Another five lakh families which did not have bank account were provided the benefit through post office incurring another around of ₹ 80 crore. The government which allotted ₹ 1,314 crore as cash component for the programme had released ₹ 1,114 crore so far for this month.
Regular users
Senior officials said families drawing their ration from the fair price shops regularly were all covered and their accounts had been credited with the assured amount. There are, however, a section of cardholders who did not utilize their cards for more than three months and in several cases for more than a year.
These cards were not in use on regular basis and the cardholders did not update information like Aadhar and bank account details to the department. The e-POS system introduced by the department too was not effective in identifying the beneficiaries of such cards because of the time lag.
Card portability
Senior officials said the names of these non-regular users of the white cards had been set aside during the scrutiny in March as genuine BPL families would regularly use the cards. It was for these sections the department had provided portability enabling them to draw their quota of essentials irrespective of the location where they are based. “Provision has not been made since these families are not using the cards even occasionally,” a senior official said.
