Digitisation helps UP catch 4 lakh fake BPL cards

The exercise,that began in 2009,has helped UP ensure that 1.66 crore BPL and Antodaya cards are given only to genuine beneficiaries and there is no duplicacy in lists. Digitisation of BPL cards has been completed,while that of Antodaya card will be over by the end of this month.

“It was a herculean task as UP has the biggest BPL list. But,we managed to complete it. We are now digitising the APL cards,” said NIC Technical Director S B Singh.

It was a special software developed by the NIC to detect any duplicacy in the lists that helped UP catch hold of the fake beneficiaries.

“Duplicacy is easy…A person can manage to have two BPL cards in his name. Suraj Prasad can become S Prasad and his father’s name can change from Ganga Prasad to G Prasad on the list,” said an official of the Food and Civil Supplies department official. “But the software can easily decipher if their address is the same and the list of family members… Then we conduct a physical verification and find that for the same address and person,two cards have been issued and grains are being taken. This means someone is taking the grains on a fake card. We immediately cancel that card and give it to someone deserving. We received support from civil groups also,as anyone can see the list and get a copy of it.”

The Supreme Court has directed states that in case a card is cancelled,they can give it to another needy family as long as it does not exceed the BPL quota decided by the Centre.

Principal Secretary,Food and Civil Supplies,J N Chamber,added: “We have been able to catch some 4 lakh fake cards through this exercise.”