Moradabad. A large number of families receiving subsidised government ration have been found ineligible during an ongoing verification drive. By matching bank accounts linked with Aadhaar and other government records, officials identified 14,951 ration cardholders in Moradabad who did not meet the prescribed eligibility criteria. The highest number, 13,072, was found within the Moradabad Municipal Corporation area. The verification also identified people who were filing income-tax returns while continuing to receive subsidised ration. Some households were found to own four-wheelers, have income above the prescribed limit, live in permanent houses or possess other facilities that made them ineligible. Their names have been removed from the ration beneficiary list.
Moradabad district currently has 5,47,719 eligible household ration cardholders under the eligible household category. Each member covered under these cards is entitled to five kilograms of foodgrain every month, comprising three kilograms of wheat and two kilograms of rice. The district also has 30,090 Antyodaya ration cardholders. Each Antyodaya cardholder family receives 35 kilograms of foodgrain every month, including 21 kilograms of wheat and 14 kilograms of rice.
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The government has prescribed eligibility criteria to ensure that subsidised ration reaches needy families. Verification is being carried out on the basis of these criteria. During the exercise, records from different government departments are being matched with Aadhaar-linked bank account information. This process has brought several cases to light in which families receiving government ration did not meet the prescribed conditions.
Officials found that some ration cardholders were filing income-tax returns. In other cases, families were found to own four-wheelers, including cars, tractors and commercial vehicles. Households with monthly income above the prescribed limit were also classified as ineligible. Other grounds for ineligibility included owning a permanent house, having an air conditioner, possessing agricultural land beyond the permitted limit and having an electricity connection exceeding five kilowatts.
The verification conducted over nearly a year found 14,951 ration cardholders ineligible across the district. Of these, 13,072 were from the Moradabad Municipal Corporation area alone. The cards were linked to 56,635 members, whose names have also been removed from the beneficiary list. The city currently has 3,956 Antyodaya cardholders and 12,692 eligible household ration cards.
Several other urban local bodies also reported ineligible beneficiaries. A total of 821 ineligible ration cardholders were identified in Bilari Municipality, 488 in Thakurdwara Municipality, 184 in Mahmoodpur Mafi Nagar Panchayat, 126 in Kanth Nagar Panchayat and 125 in Pakbara Nagar Panchayat. The figure was 83 in Umri Kala, 29 in Kundarki and 18 in Dhakia. Five ineligible cardholders were identified in Agwanpur, while no such beneficiary was found in Bhojpur Nagar Panchayat.
The verification exercise also resulted in the removal of ration cards under categories other than general ineligibility. These included 18 duplicate cards, 484 beneficiaries who had shifted from the area, 35 deceased cardholders and 97 people who had voluntarily surrendered their ration cards. Including these categories, a total of 15,585 cardholders have been removed from the beneficiary list.
Officials said verification of ration cards is continuing across the district. Records from different government departments are being matched to identify beneficiaries who no longer meet the prescribed criteria. Names found ineligible during the verification process are being removed from the list.
The exercise is aimed at ensuring that subsidised foodgrain under government welfare schemes reaches only eligible families. Officials said continued cross-verification of financial, property, vehicle, electricity and other government records would help identify cases where beneficiaries no longer qualify for the scheme.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
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