States » SouthPosted at: Oct 1 2026 6:33AM


50,000 priority, 5 lakh blue-white ration cards face freezing: Kerala Minister vows protection

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 1 (UNI) Kerala Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob has said the State Government would take steps to protect ration cards from being frozen, as concerns have arisen over around 50,000 priority cards, while nearly five lakh blue and white cards could fall under the category being considered for freezing.
The Centre has not formally communicated to Kerala about freezing the ration cards, and the State is taking steps to reactivate cards of beneficiaries who have not purchased ration for six months, the Minister said.
The government would ensure that no eligible person loses a ration card and that the entitlement of eligible families is protected, Jacob said.
The Food Department was collecting details of beneficiaries who had not purchased ration through ration shops and was taking steps to identify them and inform them about the issue, he said.
Following a campaign launched through ration shops, several beneficiaries who had not been purchasing ration had started coming to the shops to collect their quota, the Minister said.
There would be no concern about freezing a ration card if ration was purchased, while a card could also be reactivated by submitting the e-KYC form, he said.
Jacob said the government hoped that the situation would not reach a stage where ration cards had to be frozen.
Ration cards were basic documents and it was the government's policy that they should not be denied to anyone, he said, adding that every eligible family should retain its entitlement.
There were several reasons for beneficiaries not purchasing ration, including migration, death and an increase in income. The State expected that priority cards could be allotted against cards that became vacant, enabling eligible non-priority families to be shifted to the priority category.
This would help maintain the existing number of ration cards, he said.
Around five lakh blue and white ration cards could fall under the category being considered for freezing. The State supplies foodgrains to these cardholders from its Tide Over allocation. As the Centre was not currently considering excluding them, there was no immediate concern regarding these cards, Jacob said.
Kerala had no objection to the Smart PDS scheme being implemented by the Centre and had already signed the agreement, he said. Therefore, the State could neither withdraw from the scheme nor was there any need to do so.
However, Kerala had conveyed to officials of the union Food Ministry during a recent video conference that the State's right and authority to shift eligible ration cards to the priority category should be retained, Jacob added.
UNI DS
Tags: #50#000 priority# 5 lakh blue-white ration cards face freezing: Kerala Minister vows protection
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