State Government Begins Ration Card Scrutiny Linked to Electoral Roll Revision

PTI, June 6, 2026, Kolkata: The West Bengal Food and Supplies Department has launched a statewide verification exercise to identify and remove ineligible beneficiaries from the Public Distribution System (PDS), linking the process to the findings of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The move is part of the state government’s broader initiative to eliminate fake and non-Indian beneficiaries from welfare schemes.

According to a recent order, the verification drive will focus on ration card holders whose names were deleted or declared ineligible during the electoral roll revision process. The exercise should be completed by June 15.

The department stated that the decision was taken following the completion of the SIR and publication of the final electoral rolls by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal.

Officials said the categories under review include electors marked as absentee, shifted, dead or duplicate (ASDD), individuals whose applications were rejected during the SIR process, persons deleted after adjudication, and electors identified as ASDD during the distribution of Voter Information Slips ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

However, the department clarified that beneficiaries who have filed appeals before the SIR tribunal or have submitted applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will continue to remain active in the ration card database until their cases are disposed of.

To facilitate the exercise, the department has created a dedicated online module within its portal for verification and deletion of beneficiaries from the Ration Card Management System (RCMS) database.

Under the prescribed procedure, Area Inspectors will obtain booth-wise lists of deleted electors from Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant EROs or the Chief Electoral Officer’s portal. They will then verify whether the concerned beneficiary was removed during the SIR process or has filed an appeal before the tribunal.

In cases where beneficiaries claim to have filed appeals or submitted CAA applications, area inspectors have been directed to upload supporting documents on the portal and keep the ration cards active pending a final decision.

If beneficiaries fail to provide documentary evidence supporting their claims, their digital ration card records will be recommended for cancellation.

The order further stated that upon receiving such recommendations through the portal, the Digital Ration Card (DRC) Issuing Authority will examine the findings and take a call regarding cancellation or continuation of the concerned ration card.

District-level food department officials have been instructed to closely monitor the verification process and submit daily progress reports to district magistrates and the department’s directorate.

Senior departmental officials have also been tasked with supervising and coordinating the exercise across the state.