This story is from June 17, 2020

Ration cards: Moradabad division benefits most in UP

Moradabad division, which has a sizeable population of Muslims and Dalits, has received the maximum benefit of ration card distribution in the state, according to latest data of food and civil supplies department.
Ration cards: Moradabad division benefits most in UP
LUCKNOW: Moradabad division, which has a sizeable population of Muslims and Dalits, has received the maximum benefit of ration card distribution in the state, according to latest data of food and civil supplies department.
Over 6 lakh migrants were covered under ration card distribution plan by the government during lockdown following coronavirus pandemic.
The data, accessed by TOI, shows that Moradabad district, which has 50% Muslim population, saw the maximum 92,587 people getting benefited by ration card scheme which provides subsidized as well as free distribution of food grain under PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Data show that a total of 3,386 ration cards were issued in Moradabad.
Distribution of ration card scheme was also meant for free home delivery of food grain in containment zones.
Likewise, Mau district, which also has a significant Muslim population, bagged the second spot with 55,825 people getting benefited by the scheme. At least 13,992 ration cards were issued in the district.
Officials in the food and civil supplies department said the number of beneficiaries depended on the number of family members on a single ration card.
“More family members got registered on ration cards in Moradabad as compared to Mau. As a result, Moradabad saw higher number of beneficiaries,” an official said.

Azamgarh division, which also comprises Mau and is the parliamentary constituency of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, bagged second spot among all divisions in the state in terms of ration card beneficiaries. The division recorded 72,060 beneficiaries.
Gorakhpur division, which also houses Maharajganj which received maximum number of over 7 lakh migrants, saw only 48, 023 people getting benefitted by new ration cards. In Maharajganj district, only 10,658 people got the benefit of the scheme.
Food commissioner Manish Chauhan said migrants in many districts already had ration cards.
“We ensured that more people get covered under the scheme,” he said.
According to officials, many migrants also got benefitted by the ration portability wherein ration card issued in other states worked in UP too.
Data show that out of top 10 divisions, six were from the east UP while four were from west UP and Rohilkhand.
After Moradabad and Mau, Siddharthnagar in east UP recorded issuance of 24,021 ration cards, followed by Prayagraj (21,996).
In Ambedkarnagar, which has a sizeable population of OBC and Dalits, 3,476 ration cards were issued to cover 12,318 people.
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