50 Percent Of Punjab’s Atta-Dal Scheme Beneficiaries ‘Bogus’

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CHANDIGARH – In Punjab, around 50 per cent of the state government’s flagship atta-dal scheme beneficiaries are reportedly bogus.

Of the 1.42 crore people reaping benefits of the scheme, only 70 lakh have come forward for identification during the ongoing re-verification process being conducted by the Food and Civil Supplies Department in coordination with the district administration.

The disbursal of wheat to unidentified beneficiaries has been put on hold for now. “Till the identification drive is on, we will not disburse wheat to those who have not been identified. Several reasons may be responsible for the delay in identification such as reluctance on the part of beneficiaries or delay in issuance of Aadhaar cards. We cannot say anything concrete at this point,” said Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu, Joint Secretary of the Food and Civil Supplies Department. He claimed that nearly 65 per cent of the beneficiaries had been identified in the ongoing re-verification process.

Though the state government has issued Adhaar cards to 93 per cent of the 2.77 crore population, majority of the beneficiaries are reluctant in identifying themselves despite several rounds of inspection. “Cards of 65-70 lakh beneficiaries have already been linked with their Adhaar card numbers,” Sandhu said.

The state government had ordered verification of all beneficiaries in November last year after “irregularities” were alleged in the making of blue cards. It was alleged that with vote-bank politics in mind, the ruling SAD-BJP government had made thousands of “well-connected, prosperous farmers and rich people” beneficiaries of the Centre-sponsored scheme meant for the poor.

Under the scheme, all beneficiaries are entitled to 60 kg wheat at highly subsidised rate of Rs 2 per kg. Wheat, Punjab’s staple diet, was disbursed among beneficiaries twice a year in December and in June.

Sources said more than 3 lakh blue cards of “unscrupulous beneficiaries” had already been revoked as the database had detected duplication.