Engineers, Millionaires, and Landowners Found Holding Fake Ration Cards in UP; 25,000 to Be Cancelled
Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh: A large-scale scam involving fake ration cards has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district. Authorities have identified over 25,000 ration cards issued to ineligible individuals, including engineers, wealthy businessmen, and landowners with significant assets. These individuals do not meet the eligibility criteria for subsidized food distribution, yet they were availing benefits meant for the poor.
According to officials, the crackdown began after the state government integrated ration card details with Aadhaar-based e-KYC. This process revealed information about people’s land holdings, bank accounts, business registrations, vehicles, and PAN numbers. When this data was matched against ration card records, thousands of ineligible beneficiaries were exposed.
Who Are the Fake Beneficiaries?
The investigation revealed shocking cases. Some cardholders own over five hectares of agricultural land, others earn annual incomes running into lakhs, and a few even pay GST worth more than ₹25 lakh per year. Despite such financial standing, they were enjoying subsidized food grains meant for the underprivileged.
In fact, nearly 15,000 ration cards were traced to families with incomes above the ₹2 lakh rural and ₹3 lakh urban limit. About 1,250 farmers with large landholdings were also found misusing the system.
A Game of Collusion
Officials suspect that local ration dealers and certain department officers were complicit in the scam. Dealers allegedly identified families that rarely collected rations and got duplicate cards issued in their names. These cards were then used to siphon off food grains, generating illegal profits worth lakhs every month.
Former dealers have even claimed that each of the 376 ration shop owners in Baghpat pays around ₹5,000 per month as “protection money” to officials to avoid inspections. This adds up to over ₹2.25 crore annually, highlighting the deep-rooted corruption in the system.
Previous Action Taken
This is not the first time ration card fraud has been exposed in Baghpat. In June 2025, around 800 ration cards were cancelled after it was discovered that people were using duplicate Aadhaar details to collect rations from other states. Earlier, ration cards issued in the names of deceased individuals and income tax payers had also been annulled.
Beneficiaries and Complaints
Baghpat district currently has over 2.04 lakh ration cardholders, serving more than 9.17 lakh registered beneficiaries. However, genuine cardholders have long complained about irregularities. Many allege that dealers take fingerprints weeks in advance but distribute rations only for two days each month. Complaints from areas like Khekra, Pilana, Baraut, and Chhaprauli remain unaddressed, raising questions about accountability.
Government’s Next Steps
Assistant Rationing Officer (ARO) Jogendra Singh confirmed that work is underway to cancel all ineligible ration cards flagged in the government’s list. He assured that strict action will also be taken against dealers found guilty of diverting food grains. Their licenses could be terminated if proven guilty.
“Every complaint is being treated seriously. Those holding ineligible ration cards will lose their benefits, and any dealer caught in fraud will face strict punishment,” Singh stated.
The Bigger Picture
This massive cancellation drive not only aims to save crores of rupees in state resources but also seeks to restore fairness in the public distribution system. By removing fake beneficiaries, the government hopes to ensure that food subsidies truly reach the economically weaker sections for whom they are intended.
With thousands of ration cards under review, the Baghpat case has set an example for other districts across Uttar Pradesh. The coming weeks may see even larger crackdowns as more irregularities come to light.
