Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Oct 06 : The Jammu and Kashmir government has added 2,25,360 beneficiaries to ration cards across the Union Territory since January 1, 2026, while 56,664 beneficiaries were removed during the same period.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the district-wise figures placed before the Legislative Assembly show that the additions include beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Priority Household (PHH) and Non-Priority Household (NPHH) categories.
The Jammu Division accounted for 1,36,939 additions, comprising 1,261 AAY, 90,770 PHH and 44,908 NPHH beneficiaries. During the same period, 34,950 beneficiaries were deleted from the division, including 8,611 AAY, 11,632 PHH and 14,707 NPHH beneficiaries.
In Jammu district, 6 AAY, 3,075 PHH and 13,029 NPHH beneficiaries were added, while 1,835 AAY and 2,947 PHH beneficiaries were deleted.
Samba recorded 390 NPHH additions, whereas 705 AAY and 8,559 PHH beneficiaries were removed. Kathua added 196 AAY, 4,537 PHH and 3,830 NPHH beneficiaries, with 930 AAY beneficiaries deleted.
Udhampur added 11,570 PHH and 7,824 NPHH beneficiaries, while 4,273 AAY beneficiaries were deleted. Reasi recorded 250 AAY, 16,036 PHH and 5,224 NPHH additions, alongside deletion of 66 AAY beneficiaries.
In Doda, 74 AAY and 11,893 PHH beneficiaries were added, while 4,174 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted. Ramban recorded additions of 181 AAY, 12,464 PHH and 528 NPHH beneficiaries, with no deletions reflected in the annexure.
Kishtwar added 7,369 PHH beneficiaries, while 556 AAY and 10,426 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted. Rajouri recorded 238 AAY, 8,933 PHH and 8,568 NPHH additions, with 137 AAY beneficiaries deleted.
Poonch added 316 AAY, 14,893 PHH and 5,515 NPHH beneficiaries. The district also recorded deletion of 109 AAY, 126 PHH and 107 NPHH beneficiaries.
In the Kashmir Division, 88,421 beneficiaries were added to ration cards, including 8,628 AAY, 59,441 PHH and 20,352 NPHH beneficiaries. The division recorded 21,714 deletions—2,873 AAY, 8,893 PHH and 9,948 NPHH.
Anantnag recorded the highest additions in the division, with 1,089 AAY, 13,111 PHH and 3,247 NPHH beneficiaries added. The district also reported deletion of 403 AAY, 4,895 PHH and 1,961 NPHH beneficiaries.
Budgam added 534 AAY, 7,239 PHH and 1,965 NPHH beneficiaries, while 127 AAY, 360 PHH and 29 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted.
Bandipora recorded 457 AAY, 2,444 PHH and 473 NPHH additions, against deletion of 88 AAY, 315 PHH and 209 NPHH beneficiaries.
Baramulla added 1,052 AAY, 10,412 PHH and 1,065 NPHH beneficiaries. It also recorded deletion of 1,583 AAY, 595 PHH and 2,389 NPHH beneficiaries.
In Ganderbal, 471 AAY, 2,616 PHH and 156 NPHH beneficiaries were added, while 48 AAY, 73 PHH and 23 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted.
Kulgam recorded additions of 1,397 AAY, 10,896 PHH and 2,908 NPHH beneficiaries. The district deleted 87 AAY, 56 PHH and 4,616 NPHH beneficiaries.
Kupwara added 2,245 AAY, 6,078 PHH and 1,902 NPHH beneficiaries, while 19 AAY, 16 PHH and 23 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted.
Pulwama recorded 757 AAY, 3,372 PHH and 185 NPHH additions, against deletion of 24 AAY, 85 PHH and 70 NPHH beneficiaries.
Shopian added 356 AAY, 1,464 PHH and 594 NPHH beneficiaries, while 77 AAY, 295 PHH and 410 NPHH beneficiaries were deleted.
In Srinagar North, 158 AAY, 885 PHH and 3,982 NPHH beneficiaries were added. The area recorded deletion of 252 AAY, 1,681 PHH and 218 NPHH beneficiaries.
Srinagar South recorded 112 AAY, 924 PHH and 3,875 NPHH additions, while 165 AAY and 522 PHH beneficiaries were deleted.
The department said Aadhaar seeding of ration cards has been completed across J&K. It said the verification process is followed by corrections at the individual beneficiary level wherever required, with the category or status of ration cards modified in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Regarding “Silent Ration Cards”, the department clarified that such cards are not immediately cancelled during verification. Instead, they remain under suspension for the prescribed period, after which the entitlement may be restored if the beneficiary or family approaches the department and the case is found eligible on examination.
The department also clarified that an entire ration card is not ordinarily cancelled merely because one member is found ineligible. In such cases, corrections are made at the beneficiary level and the category or status of the ration card is revised as per the applicable rules.
On issuance of new ration cards, the department said beneficiaries are identified in accordance with the eligibility criteria laid down under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) Rules, 2021, notified through S.O. 389 dated November 16, 2021.
It said the overall beneficiary ceiling for ration-card coverage is determined and allocated by the Government of India on the basis of data from the 2011 Census.
The department further stated that fresh ration cards under the relevant categories would be issued whenever revised targets are conveyed by the Government of India, enabling the inclusion of newly identified eligible families—(KNO)
