Lok Sabha Question No. 754 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-04
Subject: BPL Cardholders
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Laxmikant Pappu Nishad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 754 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4Tll FEBRUARY, 2026

## BPL CARDHOLDERS

## +754. SHRI LAXMIKANT PAPPU NISHAD:

Will  the Minister  of  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND  PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a): the  details of  the total number of BPL  cardholder families currently in  Uttar Pradesh district-wise  particularly  for  Sant Kabir  Nagar, Gorakhpur  and Ambedkar Nagar districts;
- (b): whether the Government is aware that during  the process of  issuing BPL  cards, cards have also been issued to  ineligible persons such as owners of  pucca houses, two-/four-wheeler vehicle  owners, holders ofcultivable land and salary/pension recipients;
- (C): if  so, the number of  such cases reported during the last five  years;
- (d): whether the Government has noticed the instances of  collusion  between Panchayat/Urban Local Body representatives and departmental officials in the issuance ofBPL  cards;
- (e): if so? the number of cases  in which inquiries were conducted, cancellations made, recoveries effected and penal action taken;
- (f): whether the  Government proposes to  ensure benefits to  genuinely  needy families  by removing  ineligible  beneficiaries through  measures such as social audit  and the establishment of a grievance redressal portal; and
- (g): the timeline  for revision  of  the BPL list  in the aforesaid districts?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIM ATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): Identification  of beneficiaries under the  National  Food Security Act, 2013 (NFS A) is under two  categories- households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) to the extent specified by the Central Government and the remaining households as priority  households to be identified by the State Governments/ Union Territories (UT)  Administrations as per criteria evolved by them, within  the coverage determined for  the State/UT. There is no Below  Poverty Line (BPL)  category under the Act

(b) &  (c): As per the information received from the State of Uttar Pradesh, the ration cards are issued, as far as possible, to families that meet the prescribed inclusion criteria determined by the State Government. Over time, the economic status of  many families improves. Therefore, regular verifications  have been carried out in  the State. After  verification, the ration cards of  families falling  under the exclusion  criteria  are cancelled

Details of ration cards cancelled in Uttar Pradesh over the past five  years due to duplication, ineligibility, displacement  and death is as follows:  -

| Year   |   Number of ration cards Cancelled |
|--------|------------------------------------|
| 202 1  |                             719213 |
| 2022   |                             876686 |
| 2023   |                             674884 |
| 2024   |                             847484 |
| 2025   |                             964336 |

- (d) & (e): As reported by the State Government of  Uttar Pradesh, there is no such type of collusion between Panchayat/Urban  Local  Body  representatives and departmental  officials in issuing ration cards.
- (f)  &  (g):  The Central  Government has issued advisory, from  time  to time, to  all  the States/Union Territories to identify  all eligible  and poor persons/ households including  vulnerable Sections of the Society for  inclusion under the NFS A.  States are undertaking cleaning up of  their  beneficiary database so that bogus ration  cards get deleted and better targeting of  rightful  beneficiaries is ensured.  Thus, deletion of ineligible  beneficiaries  and addition of eligible beneficiaries under the Act is a continuous process.

In  order to  ensure transparency and accountability  in Targeted Public  Distribution  System (TPDS), the Act  provides for conduct of  Social Audit  and Constitution  of Vigilance  Committee by the State Government.

As  reported by  State Government of  Uttar  Pradesh regular  social audits are conducted in Gram Panchayats if,  upon verification, any family is found ineligible, its ration card is cancelled immediately.  If any eligible family applies for a ration card under the NFSA scheme and is found eligible during verification, the ration card is issued to the concerned family without delay.