In order to put an end to pilferage and mushrooming of fake ration cards in the public distribution system (PDS), the UP government has decided to introduce food coupons and digitise BPL and Antyodaya cards.

The digitisation of the ration cards will eliminate bogus cards — estimated to be anywhere between 20 and 50 per cent. The process is underway with 1.5 lakh cards of the 1.07 crore having been digitised.

“There are two major complaints which are received by the department,” said Jacob Thomas, Principal Secretary of Food and Civil Supplies. People complain that deserving beneficiaries do not get the BPL cards. Instead, it is given to undeserving ones. Another major complaint is that the shopkeepers refuse to distribute the rations.

“With the computerisation of ration cards, we aim to address the first, as all cards will be online and everyone will know about the cardholders in their areas,” he said. “The food coupons will address the second complaint, as the fair price shops will not get their supply for the next month without submitting coupons of the previous month.”

Work on the food coupon scheme will begin shortly. A pilot project in five districts will begin next week and the entire state will be covered within three months, said official sources.

Under this system, the consumers will be provided separate coupons for wheat, rice and kerosene for the entire year. Every month, the cardholder will draw his quota from the fair price shop against the coupons. The shop-owner will be required to submit the coupons before getting next month’s supply.