Several rumors have been spread on social media by the usual propagandists alleging that the Uttar Pradesh government has framed new laws for the retention of a Ration card, asking some individuals to surrender their cards with specific recommendations.
According to rumours, the Uttar Pradesh government issued directives stating that anyone with a motorcycle, a poultry farm, a dairy, any piece of land, or a house in an urban locality is no longer eligible for ration cards. They were accordingly instructed to return the ration card, and if they do not, the market value of the food grains allocated to them would be recovered from them subsequently.
However, The Uttar Pradesh government has stated that no fresh orders relating to the surrender or cancellation of ration cards had been issued by the government. It further stated that no such order has been issued, neither by the government nor by the respective departments.
Sourabh Babu, the commissioner of food and civil supplies, confirmed that the eligibility/ineligibility criteria for home ration cards were established by a Government order dated October 7, 2014, and that no further adjustments have been made since then. He further stated that no cardholder may be found ineligible because they possess a pucca home under the government programme, have an electricity connection, own a solo weapon licence, ride a bike, or operate a poultry/cow producing farm.
According to him, the department always distributes new ration cards to eligible beneficiaries based on their eligibility, and from April 1, 2020, to the present day, the department has granted a total of 29.53 lakh new ration cards to qualifying recipients in the state.
The commissioner indicated that orders for ration card authentication based on eligibility criteria were issued from time to time, but no modifications to the criteria have been made after 2014.