india

Updated: Jun 22, 2019 01:32 IST

The Punjab food and civil supplies department has ordered a fresh survey of beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal scheme and decided to issue smart cards while cancelling the existing ones.

The decision was taken to weed out bogus beneficiaries after field reports suggested that fake card holders were getting benefits while genuine ones were being denied the same. At present, there are 1.36 crore beneficiaries of the subsidised scheme but the number is expected to fall after the fresh survey gets over.

Senior department officials said the new cards will be made by adopting the ‘de-novo’ method in which which anyone who fulfils the terms and conditions will apply afresh, while the existing beneficiaries will continue to get the benefits — 5kg wheat (or wheat flour) and 2kg lentil for a family member every month.

“We are starting distribution of wheat and lentil for the July-September quarter. But the need to make new (smart) cards came as a large number of beneficiaries are not turning up to avail the benefits as they are wary of being caught,” said a senior official.

This is the second survey the state has ordered after the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government took over in 2017. In the first survey, the food and civil supplies department had found 2 lakh bogus beneficiaries.

“The new members will be added as per the criteria,” said director (food and supplies) Anandita Mitra.