PDS checks: Centre flags 262,000 govt staff availing of subsidised grains
In a rare move, the government has flagged 262,000 of its own employees in ongoing checks of public distribution system (PDS) records for possible wrongful benefits in terms of subsidised foodgrains, a senior government official said
The government has initiated a check on 262,000 of its own staff who are availing of subsidised grains through the public distribution system (PDS), according to a senior official. This includes 182,283 from Indian Railways, 37,029 from India Post, and 42,968 from the Public Financial Management System (PFMS). These 10,17,647 ration cards cover approximately 0.13% of the 20.5 crore ration cards digitised under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) across India.
It is unusual for central/state government employees to be flagged for exclusion under the scheme, as most state governments automatically disqualify them as an exclusion criterion. The official stated that being flagged does not necessarily mean the employee is ineligible for benefits, and states have been asked to verify the names before removing anyone from the beneficiary list.
Many states exclude government employees from the priority category under the NFSA, with rules varying across states. For instance, Bihar excludes households with a government employee from the PDS, while Nagaland only excludes them if the family's annual income exceeds ₹2.5 lakh.
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