Thiruvananthapuram: Over 10 lakh vacancies among priority ration card beneficiaries in Kerala have raised concerns for the state government, as the Centre could suspend free ration allotment for several people in the future. This shortfall occurred when the state government completed mustering all priority card members in Kerala.

As per the National Food Security Act, 1.54 crore people in the state (43 per cent of the total population) could be provided free rations if they are below the poverty line (BPL).

However, when the mustering was completed in March this year, 1.43 crore people were included in this category, leaving 10 lakh vacancies. This included 5.94 lakh yellow-coloured ration cards (Antyodaya Anna Yojana or AAY) and 35.79 lakh pink ration cards (Priority Householders or PHH).

Subsequently, rationing inspectors launched an intensive drive to trace ration card beneficiaries residing outside the state and deceased persons. However, this ground-level initiative failed to yield the desired results.

While the state government claims that 98.58 per cent of eligible beneficiaries have carried out mustering, it has avoided addressing the shortfall of 10 lakh names. The state’s Food and Civil Supplies Department is yet to come up with a response.

Meanwhile, applications were invited in two phases from people in the non-priority section holding blue-coloured ration cards who were eligible to change their cards to pink-coloured cards. But when the procedures were completed, the government could identify only around 70,000 beneficiaries. Incidentally, more beneficiaries could not be added, even after the government relaxed eligibility criteria and related marks.

Kerala’s Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G R Anil will be inaugurating the distribution of priority ration cards to 28,300 families in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. These pink-coloured cards will be given to those who submitted online applications in September and October.

Complaints persist
At the same time, various political parties have alleged that a large number of eligible people are yet to receive priority ration cards. Leaders of these parties said that even when the state government claims to have raised around 60,000 families from extreme poverty by implementing various welfare measures, thousands of people facing economic and physical distress are still awaiting priority ration cards.