No delay in disbursing smart PDS cards, says Food Minister Sakkarapani

CHENNAI: State food minister R Sakkarapani on Saturday clarified that there was no delay in distribution of smart PDS cards and the state government would expeditiously distribute it to all eligible applicants.

Pointing out that over 15.94 lakh new ration cards have been disbursed since the time Chief Minister M K Stalin formed government (May 2021), Sakkarapani admitted that the approval of new ration card applications and printing of approved card applications were suspended since July 6, 2023 as the enumeration of beneficiaries for Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Scheme was done on the basis of ration cards.

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Nonetheless, about 45,509 ration cards were printed and distributed in March 2024.

Admitting that scrutiny of applications and field verification for new ration cards could not be undertaken due to the Parliamentary poll procedures, Sakkarapani, in a statement, said that field verification was done for 1,63,458 of the 2,89,591 applications received for new ration cards and 92,650 applications have been approved as on date.

Among the approved applications, about 24,657 were printed and distributed to the beneficiaries, the minister said, a couple of days after DT Next published a story on delay in providing ration cards to three lakh families.

Printing of smart PDS cards for other approved applications was underway and scrutiny of applications and field verification for other applicants was also undertaken in an expeditious manner, the minister added, denying the claims of a "few people" that there was delay in distribution of smart PDS cards.