📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Suyash Dwivedi
Crime
Jabalpur BPL Ration Scam: 5,000 Cards Issued to High-Income Beneficiaries
✍️ Bhaskar English
🗓 03 Sep 2026, 06:18 AM
👁 3
An inquiry in Jabalpur found that around 5,000 ration cards were issued to individuals earning over ₹25 lakh annually and paying GST, who are ineligible for subsidised foodgrains. Authorities have begun verifying the beneficiaries and initiating corrective action.
The preliminary inquiry conducted by local authorities in Jabalpur revealed that approximately five thousand ration cards under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) scheme had been allocated to individuals whose annual income exceeds ₹25 lakh and who also pay Goods and Services Tax (GST). Such beneficiaries are not entitled to receive subsidised foodgrains under the scheme.
Officials explained that the BPL ration programme is designed exclusively for economically weaker sections, and the inclusion of high‑earning taxpayers constitutes a clear violation of eligibility norms. The discovery has prompted a review of the beneficiary database to identify all irregular cards.
In response, the district administration has started the verification process, with plans to cancel the ineligible cards and recover any undue benefits. Legal proceedings may be initiated against those found to have fraudulently obtained the ration cards, according to standard procedure for such violations.
Officials explained that the BPL ration programme is designed exclusively for economically weaker sections, and the inclusion of high‑earning taxpayers constitutes a clear violation of eligibility norms. The discovery has prompted a review of the beneficiary database to identify all irregular cards.
In response, the district administration has started the verification process, with plans to cancel the ineligible cards and recover any undue benefits. Legal proceedings may be initiated against those found to have fraudulently obtained the ration cards, according to standard procedure for such violations.