Archive · 28 Sep 2026
West Bengal Deactivates 11.12 Lakh Ration Cards Since April
West Bengal has stopped about 11.12 lakh ration cards from being used since April 1.
Officials say most of these cards belonged to people who had died.
They used information from a voter-list checking exercise to help find the cards.
Officials are checking the records carefully before stopping more cards.
The process has been slower because the information must be verified.
After checking deceased people, the government plans to examine other deleted voter records.
Officials say this could prevent people with false documents from receiving benefits.
They also say it could stop food from being collected using dead people’s cards and sold illegally.
West Bengal has deactivated 11.12 lakh ration cards since April 1.
Officials said most deactivated cards belonged to deceased individuals.
Data from the voter-roll Special Intensive Revision helped identify some cardholders.
Officials are cross-checking deceased-voter records before recommending further deactivations.
The administration says the exercise will protect subsidies and prevent PDS fraud.
- Who
- The West Bengal Directorate of Rationing and State Food and Supplies Department.
- What
- Deactivation of 11.12 lakh ration or public distribution system cards.
- When
- Since April 1 of the current financial year; officials said the process intensified from June.
- Where
- West Bengal, with the department based in Kolkata.
- Why
- To ensure subsidies reach genuine beneficiaries and reduce fraud involving deceased or invalid cardholders.
- Cards deactivated
- 11.12 lakh
- Official start date
- April 1
- Process intensified
- From June, according to department insiders
- Main group affected
- Cards belonging to deceased individuals
- Data source
- Voter names deleted during the Special Intensive Revision
- Next focus
- Other individuals whose voter names were deleted for genuine reasons
- Stated objectives
- Protect food subsidies and prevent ration diversion and fraud